the Way
by MariDark
Summary: Where young orphan Taniyama Mai finds herself under the care of a divine kitsune with memory problems. 'Really Mai, you find the most strange situations to involve yourself into.' Yokai!Fem!Naru
1. First Truth I

the Way

Naruto and Ghost Hunt does not belong, in any possible way, to myself.

 _Many sentences in this story were taken and/or inspired from the mangá, anime or the script that I have found on the internet._

 _Thanks to Baka-Tsuki for the script. Couldn't do this without the help of your hard work._

First Truth - Chapter One

It was supposed to be a happy memory before the beginning of the second semester of her second year of middle school.

She really didn't get her mother's idea of traveling to the Aokigahara forest. Apparently, they were going with a couple other families in an weekend camp trip to the cursed forest. Why anyone would want to travel and sleep in such a place, she doesn't have the slightest idea. But _okaa-chan is always so busy and she's so happy with this trip, what could go wrong?_

Well, she might as well have cursed the dammed trip.

" **Run, Mai! Run and don't look back!** "

Taniyama Mai could only cry as she runs away from her screaming mother. And when the screaming suddenly ends, she doesn't dare to look back.

* * *

Aokigahara was a quiet forest.

There wasn't much noise in the cursed forest. It was a dark, silent, peaceful place. A place full of mystery and secrets. Where death could be find hanging in the branches of many trees. Warnings could be find in almost every place. Warnings of the ' _Don't give up on your life so easily'_ kind.

It was a peaceful place to many living beings, that were not human of course.

But not only living! Because… if you looked closer, listened closer, you would most certainly see and hear nothing. For you are probably a boring normal human. But a boring normal human like you can still feel it, can't you?

The chill that runs down your spine as you listen to the silence of the cursed forest.

Well, dear human, let me tell you a secret.

There is the alive ones, yes. But there is the dead ones as well. And beyond the dead, there is the immortal ones. And then, there is the divine ones. But there is one more. Only one. This one was, is and will be.

The only one that went through all of those above. And where was this one?

Currently, she was in the cursed forest.

And poor boring human Taniyama Mai goes barreling like a crazy mammoth in the long existence of the One.

* * *

A golden fox rests in its nest.

A golden mystical fox of nine fluffy tails. Floating lazily above its slender body, you could find ten black orbs with a beautiful purple glow surrounding them.

One of the golden, black tipped ears of the fox lifts as many screams disturbs the peaceful air of the forest making the birds in the trees go into a frenzy.

When the screams don't stop, the fox let's out a growl and turns its body around, putting its paws above it's ears and pressing them down. The fox knows that it doesn't help in anything. It already knew what was the cause of the screams. But it really just wanted to rest.

 _ **"Run, Mai! Run and don't look back!"**_

After that, the screams don't last for much longer.

But of course! There has to have a survivor who just happens to come in the direction of the fox's nest. _Great. Fate, I do not enjoy this kind of situation! It better have nothing to do with you! This kind of mess screams your name!_ Of course it screamed Fate's name. A newly made orphan, who just happens to watch the massacre of her's last bit of family is the only survivor of the so said massacre, which happens to be at a so said cursed forest. And! Said orphan happens to run in the direction of the most powerful being in the forest, if not, _in the whole fucking Universe!_

 _Fucking kyuubi ears. O_ _mniscient_ _my ass!_

The fox knew that the child would not take long to arrive at the surroundings of it's nest, so it prepared itself to judge the child's Fate.

 _This Fate crap is totally that guy's area… What is this?… I forgot again… Boruto? Bolt? Rasen? What was it? What was his name?_

The fox could not dwell in it's thoughts anymore.

 _She's here._

* * *

Mai didn't really know where she was going anymore. She wasn't sure of how much she'd run, or for how long she was running. She just run, run, run until she slipped and her foot got stuck into a root and strained itself. She hissed because of the pain and the dull ache that pervaded through her body with the impact of her body falling face first on the forest's floor.

She could only hear her heartbeat and the harsh breathing and sobbing that escaped from her mouth. _You can't stop Taniyama. Okaa-san said to keep running. Keep running!_

But she couldn't stand up. Her legs didn't move a inch. She was a tired mess. She just wanted to rest a little bit…

 _ **No!**_

Mai opened her eyes to see the dirt and dry leaves of the forest ground. She didn't even noticed that they had closed. No, this couldn't be. Her mother gave up herself to see her daughter get away from that hell.

 _I can't give up, dammit!_

It was with those thoughts that she lifted her head to see the clearing that she had stumbled into. And with a new fire in her eyes, she tried to get up again, just to end face first in the floor again. _I won't give up! I won't give up!_

"Ah…I…won't…Aarg… **I won't give up!** "

She started to crawl. Her foot hurts like hell, everything in her body is screaming to her to just stop.

"I won't… give up. I can't… give up…" She is breathing heavily. Her face is a mess. But she can't give up…She…

"I…don't… want to." She drops heavily to the ground. Her breaths making dirt go flying all over her face. "Ah…I… don't want…I…won't…"

' _ **So don't.'**_

Mai opens her eyes in a flash. That wasn't her voice.

Slowly, she lifts her face, and there, standing right in front of her, was what she could only name as a kyuubi no kitsune.

* * *

" _Hey kid. What's your name?"_

" _My…name?"_

" _Yeah. Who are you, kid?"_

"… _Taniyama… Mai."_

" _Ne, ne. That's a cute name for a cute girl like you, Mai-chan."_

" _And, what is… your name… kitsune-sama?"_

" _Hehehe…I can't really give you my real name kiddo. But…"_

" _Anh?"_

" _Call me Nanashi! And for a surname… Uchiwa! Uchiwa Nanashi! I mean it!"_

" _Nanashi… Unnamed?"_

* * *

 **Roughly One Year Later**

 **April 14th**

"Mai-chan! You better not be late little lady! Yesterday you came home pretty late, again! You know how I feel about that…" A impossibly beautiful blonde woman yells in the kitchen of a flat in Tokyo. Her bright, electric eyes focused in the breakfast she was preparing. Long, bright locks of hair goes down her back, stoping at the incredible length of her narrow hips. Long, sun kissed legs can be seen below a sun dress that hides a impossible beautiful and seductive body from the world to see. Long, graceful fingers continue their task without hesitation as she waits for her ward's answer.

"Ah! Nana-nee, I was telling ghost stories with Yuuri, Keiko and Michiru! And then a strange suspicious boy appeared, not really answering our questions. And the girls didn't even notice it!" Taniyama Mai responds her guardian's inquire. She enters the kitchen as Nana is about to put some plates on the table, she instantly takes the plates from her guardian's hands and arranges the table as Nana goes back to prepare the food.

"A boy?"

"Yeah. A strange, handsome and gloomy boy. He scared us when we were in the last part of our ghost stories ritual." Mai says with a small smile in her face as she watches her beautiful guardian seat in front of her, putting the last bit of food on the table. She giggles at the look her Nana-nee sends her.

"You also know how I feel about handsome, gloomy, dark boys." Nana-nee says as she puts a bit of food in their plates. "And don't say ritual. It's weird. _And scary_."

Mai laughs at her guardian. "I still don't understand how you, of all beings, are scared of ghosts. And I didn't say nothing about him being dark."

Nana-nee's cheeks redden and she looks sideways. _Totally embarrassed._

"Stop it, Mai-chan! And every gloomy handsome boy has to be, like, a total emo! It's, like, the rule! I mean it!"

Mai laughs at her.

* * *

"I'm heading out!" Calls Mai as she stops at the flat's entrance to put her shoes.

"Oi! Mai-chan! Your lunch!" Shouts Nana, as she goes barreling from the kitchen to the entrance. Arriving like a yellow tornado with Mai's bento firmly in her hands.

Mai is not fazed at the sudden speed of her guardian. She knows very well how fast Nana-nee can really go.

"Oh! Thanks nee-chan!" Mai smiles brightly at her blonde guardian. Nana answers with a even bigger, sunnier and brighter smile of her own.

"You're welcome kiddo! Now, will you come back later than usual as well? Or I will have to go searching for you?"

"Eh? Nana-nee! You shouldn't worry so much. And I honestly don't know. Shibuya-san said that he wanted to tell stories with us, so I think that I may come earlier as I really don't want to spend time with him…"

Now was the part where her nee-chan would go crazy over her. Saying that she should be careful with boys, and that she shouldn't grow so fast, and that she would hunt and prank any boy who came close to 'her dearest imouto'.

But Nana-nee eyes were suddenly serious, a bit darker and much more older. A glow that Mai hadn't see in such a long time all of sudden appears in Nanashi's eyes. And Mai knows that something important has just happened.

"Nee Mai… Do you really want to leave so early? You know that you can stay a little bit if you want. It's still early." Nana says with a serene look in her face. It's strange to see such a demure behavior in her charismatic and loud guardian.

Mai thinks about her guardian's proposal. Normally, she would accept without a single thought. But something seemed different today. The spring must have impregnated itself in her brain, because…

"You know what, nee-chan? For the first time, I will say no to such a proposal! The spring is in it's prime! I think that I will enjoy the cherry blossoms just this once, ne?"

* * *

In the, almost, half month that she'd been at the school she had never adventured herself into the old school building. At the start of the year, in her first day of school, it seemed to be a rather interesting place to explore. The kind of place that nee-chan would most certainly stay ' _the fuck away'_ as she would say, but deep, deep, _deeeeep_ in her heart would be the most curious about.

So, as she gazed at the half covered, old, decrepit building she came to the conclusion that a little look wouldn't hurt, would it?

As always, she may as well have cursed herself.

…

Mai approached the building. Excitement pumping in her veins as she came close to the main door. The entrance way had an old-fashioned door with a glass window, which was clouded and broken too. A transparent vinyl put there was looking rather lonely through that window, Mai peeped into the building.

Well, it was a damn mass inside the building. Broken glass on the floor, trash scattered though the area and dust was in every surface. And a strange, rather tall, object was at the centre of chaos. Looking closer, Mai though that it could be a machine. _A camera? What is a camera doing in such a place?_ _But… Is it a camera? Should I go there and make sure that it is?_

 _…_

"Of course!" Mai whispered to herself.

Quickly, Mai puts her hands in the dusty and rough door knob and with and unpleasant creek, the door opened and the dusty and suffocating air of the place surrounded her as she approached the object, which really was a camera stated on top of a tripod.

 _What a puzzling situation… Who would leave this kind of thing in a place like this?_

And, in true Mai fashion, she stretched her hand to examine the object.

"Who is it?!"

A sharp voice reaches her ears, surprising her. She jumps in fright, crashing into an old, collapsing shoe shelf. The shelf tilts in her direction but she's focused on the silhouette standing by the door. Too late, she notices the shelf is coming down and it is intent on bringing her with it.

But she trips sideways and falls down.

And the man goes down with shoe shelf instead of her.

* * *

" _I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to!"_

" _Lin?"_

" _Oh kami-sama! Shibuya-san! I didn't mean to!"_

" _Lin, what happened?"_

" _I tried…to save the camera."_

" _Eh? The camera? And what of me?"_

" _Lin, are you hurt?"_

" _Yes…A small cut."_

" _Hey. We met yesterday, right?"_

" _Eh? Ah, yes."_

" _That's right, but_ _there's_ _more important_ _things_ _now, is there a hospital or a doctor nearby?_ _"_

" _Yeah. Right after the school gate."_

" _Take me there."_

" _Eh?"_

 _She tries to help this Lin person._

" _You help is unneeded."_

" _Eh?!"_

" _Hey, what's your name?"_

" _Hm? Etto, Taniyama…"_

" _Then, Taniyama-san, I will be alright on my own from here own. You can go to your classroom."_

" _Eh?"_

" _I should let you know that the school bell just rang."_

" _EEH?!"_

* * *

Even though she run with all her haste, she was still late. The teacher scolded her in front of the whole class making her stay in a bad mood for the rest of the school day.

 _I should have listened to Nana-nee…_

At the end of the school day, all she wanted to do was go home and fall into the warm arms of her nee-chan. Today was not her day and she just wanted to stay with her precious person _._ But, as any bad day, whatever she wished for wouldn't just happen easily.

"Hey, Mai! Are you going home?" Mai looked up to meet the stare of her ghost story buddies Keiko, Yuuri and Michiru.

"Why are you asking?"

"Don't you remember? We were going to meet yesterday's exchange guy!"

"Ah, Shibuya ne?"

"Yeah! Let's go meet him!"

 _I don't wanna meet that jerk anytime soon._ Mai gets up from her chair, her purse in hand and declares with a major poker face.

"I going home. Bye." And with that she walks away. Or at least she tries to.

Keiko grabs her arm and drags her back.

"Maaaaiiii… Why are you being so rude?" Asks Keiko.

"You've changed Mai." Yuuri says with a disappointed look in her face.

Even Michiru nods shyly.

 _You know me for less than a month!_

"And don't be such a weirdo! That guy is hot!"

"He's got a godlike coolness, don't you think so?"

 _He's got a pretty face alright. But godlike? Let me introduce you to Uchiwa Nanashi and we will talk about godlike beauty._

Recognizing Mai as a weirdo, Michiru says "Well, that's okay. The lesser rivals, the better." _You are suddenly not so shy anymore, Michiru._

"Yeah! We'll be the ones to enjoy his enchanting eyes!" And, that made Keiko's day…apparently.

"You really don't want to come with us?" Yuuri looks mistrustfully at Mai.

"Yeah. You seemed interested yesterday." And with that, Michiru smoothed down her uniform and didn't say anything more. Keiko gives up on the subject and tries to clear the tense air changing the direction of their conversation.

"Anyways, I was really surprised by the tense atmosphere yesterday. I thought that a ghost had appeared for real!"

"Me too!"

"We're going to tell stories again today! Even if Mai doesn't want to come with us…" _Really smooth, Michiru._

"We could borrow the A/V room again."

"That sounds okay. It is really dark in there."

 _They are totally into it…I'm too. I want tell ghost stories…_

The three girls started to head out when they were interrupted.

"Wait a minute."

The four turn to meet the angry face of the class rep, Kuroda Naoko. The girl always seemed nervous, and Mai has never talked to her.

"Ah, Kuroda-san. I'm sorry, but we were heading out. Goodbye!" Yuuri turns to her with an innocent smile.

"No goodbyes. What were you talking about just now?" She seemed rather angry, and Mai couldn't really understand why. They haven't done anything to her! _I guess that I could help you guys out._

"We're going to tell ghost stories. Wanna join us?" Mai totally ignores Keiko's poke and the look Michiru sends her. She focus on Kuroda's sudden murderous intent towards them. _What's wrong with her?_

And in that exact moment, Shibuya appears by their class door.

"Is Taniyama-san here?" Kuroda turns to his direction.

"What are you doing here? What year are you in?"

"Ah… I had an arrangement with these girls…" Kuroda's stare intensifies as she narrows her eyes at him.

"Arrangement… About the ghost stories?"

"Yes, that's right… ?!"

Hearing Shibuya's answer, Kuroda turns to the four confused girls.

"Didn't I told you to stop doing this?!"

 _What's with this girl?_

"No wonder I've been having headaches since this morning!"

"Eh?"

Mai stared at the girl doubtfully. _What the hell is she talking about?_

"You see, I am sensitive to spirits." _Doubtful._ "I have headaches when a lot of them gather. I am having headaches all day. Spirits have definitely gathered here!"

"…"

"Ha. I guess you didn't know! But when you tell ghost stories spirits gather. These are mainly low-levels… But even if they are low-level one, when a lot of them gather, they attract stronger spirits. You will be in trouble if that happens!"

 _THE HELL SHE'S TALKING ABOUT?!_

"So! You shouldn't think of telling ghost stories as _fun._ " She turns to Shibuya to complete her speech. "It would be quite troublesome if simp did it too… I'd have to do an exorcism!" She says with a thoughtful expression.

Shibuya shrugs his shoulders as he replies, "Isn't just your imagination?"

Kuroda's eyes darken as she stares at him. She tsks and says, "That's why people who can't sense spirits are annoying."

 _She's a total diva. Attention-lover. Yep, she is._

"You, if you can sense them, then do you sense something from the old school building?" Shibuya looks at her with a strong intent.

"Old school building? Ah, it seems that the spirits of those who died during the war are gathering there." She says quickly with a smirk in her face.

"Died during the war?" Shibuya seems confused by this little bit of info. Mai doesn't blame him. She is probably more confused then he will ever be. _There ain't any spirits in that place…_

"Right. I often see a man's shadow looking at me from the windows and it looks like a man from the war…"

"Che… Which war?"

"Of course, the World War II! During the war there was a hospital on that place. The spirits of the dead nurses can be seen there! It had even been air-raided once! Therefore, a lot of injured spirits can be seen too."

"…"

"Hmph… Awesome." Shibuya throws a sarcastic smile at her. "I didn't know this was a hospital during the war. I heard that this school was here since pre-war days… And before that, there was a medical faculty, wasn't there?"

 _Man, that was hard…_

Kuroda's eyes widen and she purses her lips. She try to compose herself quickly, but she can't stop her face from getting red.

"I wouldn't know such a thing! Anyway, I've seen them. A person unable to sense them wouldn't understand!" _She doesn't give up…_

"The school principal is bothered that the ex-building's demolition failed and was complaining about it. Are you here to exorcise it?"

Kuroda looks away from him at the question.

"… it isn't so simple."

"I see." Shibuya responds coldly and turns to the four girls that were watching their battle of wits. "Since here is not good, let's go elsewhere?"

"Still continuing with such a thing!" Kuroda snaps at Shibuya with incredible force. But he's completely unconcerned and walks in their direction, making Mai's friends restless.

"Let's…" Yuuri speaks with a small voice. "Let's put it off for today?"

"I'm not in the mood for it anymore…" Even Keiko loses her enthusiasm.

 _What is this? Suddenly losing their courage? Hmph… Really, you give up too easily._

Michiru speaks miserably, "…Shibuya-senpai, sorry. After all…"

"I see." Shibuya nods with a pensive look in his face. "Then some other time." Looking at the seemingly-pleased Kuroda he says, "You're satisfied, right?"

She looks surprised as she replies. "What are you talking about?"

"It's alright if you don't know." He turns away from her and looks directly at Mai. _That's right…He came in here looking for me, didn't he?_ "Taniyama-san, please."

The other girls look surprised at his sudden change of focus.

"What is it?"

"Do you have a spare minute?"

He says that with a smile on his face, but it was the same smile as yesterday. The fake smile that didn't appear in his eyes. Mai knows that the girls don't notice the fake smile, and as she heads out of the class with Shibuya, she can feel her back being watched reproachfully.

 _Real friends you got there Taniyama…_

* * *

"Who's that girl?" Shibuya asks as he walks briskly before Mai.

"The class rep, Kuroda Naoko-san. First time I talked to her. She's obviously seeking attention talking about such nonsense. Honestly? Spirits in _that_ building?"

Mai bumps on his back as Shibuya stops his brisk walk to face her. She blinks in confusion and looks up to ask what's wrong, bout stops at the inquisitive look in his face. Shibuya looks at her like she'd just told him the spoiler of some book he was reading. He keeps looking at her face in total attention as he asks, "Ah… Is she really a medium?"

"Well, she obviously want us to believe so."

"She wants to make others believe in her so called powers, is that what you're saying?"

"Well… I know that is something really mean to say about someone I just met! But… I _know_ that she doesn't have so much power and acknowledge as she came to have. I don't know her, and I'm being kind of a bitch now, but… Anyway! Is the person from this morning alright?"

Shibuya keeps looking at Mai, like she has the answers to his questions. Questions that he would ask, but decides to ignore his curiosity. _For now._

"Yeah…About that." He faces her with a cold, indifferent expression. "He sprained his left ankle. Apparently, it is in a very bad condition, so he won't be able to stand for a while."

"Oh." ' _Oh' alright Taniyama._ "I'm really sorry about that… I he an acquaintance of yours?"

"Wasn't it obvious?" He glances at her with ridicule in his eyes.

Still, Mai persists. "What kind of acquaintance?"

That guy was strange. The one with the sprained ankle. He kind of reminded Mai of Aokigahara. That feeling that she had in the cursed forest… _He remembers me of those spirits. Not the Red Ones…but…_

"Assistant." Mai blinks and look up at his pale face. _Assistant? What kind of assistant Shibuya is to talk in such a rude manner to his boss?!_

"Your boss kind of seem to be really strict, ne?" Mai says with a bit of sarcasm in her words.

"It's the opposite."

"Eh?"

"I am the boss. He is the assistant."

"…" She stares at him incredibly. _What is this guy?_ He looks at her in all his pale glory.

"My assistant being unable to move is troubling. Don't you think that you have a responsibility to take on, Taniyama-san?"

"Hey! Slow down a bit! I was a victim too!" He stares at her coldly.

 _All the world's cold is gathered inside this guy's eyes._

"He was hurt. And how are yourself?"

"I'm… rather lively. I mean-"

"Moreover, the camera was broken."

 _Of course. The damn camera!_

"Lin, my assistant, tried to prevent you from touching it, which leads to our current situation."

"And what a situation it is…"

 _This is going to end badly! Nee-chan! Why didn't I listen to you?!"_

"Normally, I would only ask for you to pay compensation for the camera, but…"

 _Compensation?!_

"But! It isn't like I broke it intentionally!

"Didn't you family teach you not to touch other people's stuff without permission?"

 _I…feel…like I am child!_

"And…How much…is the compensation?"

And as he answered Mai's question, she felt her world's collapse. It was a ugly thing. _I can't pay this! And I can't let nee-chan pay for such a silly mistake of mine…Ah! What do I do?_

"That…That can't be! How could you let something so expensive in such a place?! And why is that camera so expensive?!"

"It was custom-made, produced in Germany. Do you wish to see the certificate?" She looks at him blankly. He sighs. "If you don't like that…"

Mai blinks and turns big, hopeful eyes at him.

"Would you mind taking the place of my assistant?" She blinks at him confusedly.

"Like, I'll be working as your assistant? And that will be it? I won't need to pay?"

"Exactly."

"I'll do it!"

* * *

" _By the way, what kind of work are you doing, Shibuya-san?"_

" _ **Ghost Hunter**."_

" _Eh?"_

" _In other words, ghost extermination. We've come here to investigate the old school building by the request of the principle. We are called_ _ **Shibuya Psychic Research.**_ _"_

" _Pusai_ _…_ _kkiku...risaachi?_ _"_

" _Haven't you taken any English lessons?"_

" _Well, mister. Excuse me for being bad at English."_

" _I will ignore that. Anyway, it means psychic phenomenon investigation service. And I am the head of it."_

" _Eh?!"_

* * *

Uchiwa Nanashi looks at the horizon of Tokyo city. The flat she and her ward lives was not an grandiose thing, but Mai loved it. She loved luxurious things as well, but she didn't mind their tiny flat.

Nanashi liked Mai. She was a sweet young girl. Mai made Nanashi remember the blurry faces of her past.

Nanashi was old. Too old. And she hated the fact that she could not remember much of her dear people of the past. _At least the living ones…_ It was easier to remember the faces of the immortals, the divine and even some dead ones. But living ones? Those she could only see in her present and, sometimes, in her future.

Mai was, and is, her future.

Nanashi idly played with the black beads in her neck. She knew that when she was a human, she had nine of them. But when she died ( _Or was it before? Or much after? She doesn't know!_ _ **Shedoesn'tknow!**_ ) she got one more. It was supposed to be impossible, _you only get a fixed number of them. It can't change._ ( _ **The most unpredictable ninja! Na-**_ ) What were them? She thinks that they had a name. Maybe Mai will make her remember. **Mai always makes her remember.**

 _ **His name was Neji.**_

As a kyuubi no kitsune, she could hear everything and anything. And now, she was listening to her dear little ward's talk with her destiny. _Neji would be so proud of me…He was a proud one._

 _ **Mai makes her remember.**_

She was drinking tea. Tea was healthy.

 _ **Mai has met her destiny.**_

The cup in her hands cracks.

 _ **You can't take what is meant to her.**_

* * *

And that's it, folks.

I don't really if this will have romance, but at least Mai will have a special someone. I think. Probably.

This was inspired by Duochanfan's Yume no Naka ni Seishin and Fantasy-Magician's Sky Ghost Hunt. Go read them.

Chapters will probably keep at this lenght. 'Cause the cases are as divided as a Dragon Ball fight.

Please, do tell me of any mistake. English is not my first language. Drill it in my mind in most cruel way possible. I need it.

Till next time!

~MariDark


	2. First Truth II

the Way

Naruto and Ghost Hunt does not belong, in any possible way, to myself.

 _Many sentences in this story were taken and/or inspired from the mangá, anime or the Light Novel/script that I have found on the internet._

 _Thanks to Baka-Tsuki for the script. Couldn't do this without the help of your hard work._

First Truth - Chapter Two

 _"It's a story about this school..._

 _At the ex-school building there is a wooden building at the opposite side of the sports ground. The half-collapsed building._

 _It wasn't collapsed. That's where the reconstruction stopped._

 _That building was cursed... a lot of strange incidents happened there. Every year a teacher and a pupil died there... Was it a fire or an incident, only bad things happened there._

 _I saw that right after I entered this school. The old building had half-collapsed. It was full of broken glass and walls around. Really, that building is a scary place._

 _The new school building was built ten years ago._

 _That time, when they had to demolish the old building to start the construction, strange things happened. A machine stopped and workers got ill. But still they tried to break the west wall, and the roof fell down. All the way from the second floor. All of the workers on the first floor died._

 _Diseases, injuries, incidents..._

 _Thereupon the construction was suspended. It was left like that, with the west side collapsed, for a long time._

 _After that unpleasant things continued to happen. A child from the neighborhood was found dead in the ex-building, three days after that a teacher committed suicide there..._

 _...The demolition was restarted last year in order to rebuild the gym. But again only the half of it got demolished, before the work got suspended. The same as last time. A machine broke, a worker got_ _killed_ _..._

 _Once_ _,_ _a truck went out of control and drove through the sports ground during class. Two students died and seven were severely injured. It was on the newspapers too._

 _S_ _enpai's friend saw a man's ghost at the ex-building..._

 _A person's white shadow was looking at her from the second floor, she said. The road around the school fence isn't a place to walk at night. When_ _she_ _was walking_ _with her_ _dog at night at that street_ _she_ _felt someone looking at_ _her_ _. When_ _she_ _turned around, from the window of a half-collapsed classroom a white silhouette was_ _there…_

 _..and that person was waving his hand like he was inviting_ _her_ _._ _She_ _got the feeling that_ _she_ _shouldn't go inside the old school so_ _she_ _left staggering on_ _her_ _feet._

 _When_ _she_ _started walking,_ _her_ _dog burst out barking with great energy, so_ _she_ _got back there._ _She_ _looked again at the window, but the person wasn't there anymore."_

* * *

"That's all that I can remember, Shibuya-san."

"Hm." He stops the tape recorder he was using and stares at the ground thoughtfully. Mai keeps staring at him when he suddenly stands up.

"Now then, shall we go?"

"To the old school building?"

"Where else?"

…

"How much of Michiru's story do you think is true?" _I do know that it is false. There is no spirit in that building. And if I can't sense it, it is either too weak or too strong._

Shibuya stops and sat down in an bench close to them. He pulls out a file and says, "Many people died in the old school building."

"Really?" She sits at his side and looks down at the file he is showing. He turned to a page completely filled with writing. It looked like medical record written by a doctor. And it was completely in English.

"During the three years that the old building was being used… That is, eighteen years ago, one or two people died every year."

"I see…"

"After the new building was built, they made plans to demolish the old one. The roof fell during the demolition of the west wing. They said it was an operating accident."

"Is that true?"

"Half of it is."

"Only half of it?"

"Yes. The story you heard was that construction workers died, but that's not the truth. Five people were injured, but no one died."

"I see…So then what?"

"The demolition was completed as planned. They stopped after tearing down a third of the building."

"Eh…And they didn't stop because of the stories?"

"Regrettably, no. At the time, a child died in the old school building. The police caught the murderer a month later. He originally wanted to kidnap her. Furthermore, a teacher really did commit suicide there a month later, but he left a suicide note. Apparently he suffered from neurosis."

"Eh, you know how to get your info, don't you? That's a good research."

"Of course. Don't underestimate my research ability."

Mai smiles at him. _That's something that Nana-nee would say…_

"Don't worry! I won't!"

Shibuya stops and looks up at her face. He stares at her as she smiles softly. _What an strange girl…_ He blinks and shook his head.

"Anyway, In order to build a gymnasium in its place, the demolition of the old building began again last year."

"What about the truck that ran out of control?"

"Look at this." Shibuya took out a copy of an old newspaper clipping from his files. ' **Nine Students Struck by Construction Truck During Demolition** ' was its headline.

"The driver lost control of the rubble-filled truck near the school grounds, causing it to skid though the volleyball court, leaving seven injured and two dead." Bellow the news report were photos of the two deceased students. _Poor kids…_

"I think I've seen this before…" _Nee-chan showed me this when we were looking for a new school._ "The driver was drunk, wasn't he?"

"Yes. At that time the construction had to be stopped. Another reason was because of the rumors that were floating around."

"Rumors?"

"I investigated many claims, but they all turned out to be rumors. Despite being unfortunate ones, there is a clear reason behind each and every one of them. I don't think the old building is haunted at all." After that, he stood up and looked at Mai. Their eyes connected and she understood. She stood up and followed him.

* * *

Shibuya leaded the way, walking swiftly along the groves of the old school building before heading around the back. A black van was parked behind the school building in an inconspicuous area. Shibuya opened the trunk revealing a bunch of high-tech equipment.

"Move the equipment out."

"All of it?"

"Move out everything that is necessary."

 _At least, this can count as exercise… Nana-nee would be proud._

"There is something here that you need first?" She asks.

"Retrieve these microphones and come here." Shibuya says and then goes around to the back of the old school building, a row of microphones lined the path, the heads in towards the old windows.

"Those ones?"

"Yes."

"What are they for?" He throws a disdainful look at Mai. "I mean! Other than gather sounds, why do you need sound of the outside of the building?" He narrow his eyes at her.

"It's dangerous to enter a haunted building without doing research beforehand. That's why in the beginning, one should throughly research prior to arriving."

"If haunted buildings can be so dangerous, why are you not scared?"

"Because there's nothing to be afraid of, Taniyama-san."

"Why would you want to do this kind of work at such a young age?" His answer was brief.

"People need it done. Like any other work."

 _Overconfident much?_

"Well, there must have some case that you couldn't solve, right?"

"Wrong. There were none."

"Huh?"

"Because I am capable." _He's totally full of himself._

"Eh. You're quite a guy. Handsome and capable!" Mai says, with a tiny bit of sarcasm. The guy really was handsome and capable, even if his personality was not one of the best. Shibuya turns and looks at her with piercing eyes.

"I'm handsome?" _What is this sudden naive question?_

"Yeah. At last, everyone says so. They make such a big fuss over you."

"Right. Then, they have good taste." _Naive my ass!_

 _He's such a narcissist! That's right! Shibuya, from now on you will be Naru! Naru-chan, the Narcissist!_

* * *

After the microphones, Naru orders her to set up the rest of the equipment. Inside the building. _Thank goodness he is coming with me._

She walked towards the old school building. Old and worn, the building wasn't that much welcoming. She reached her hand out to open the door. Inside, the building was bathed in an orange tint of light from the afterglow of the sunset. The fallen shoe cabinet in the same place since the accident from the morning. _We meet again, old enemy._ Mai cringes at the sight of the object and the dark liquid droplets that dotted the floor. _Mister Assistant's blood!_ Naru passes her, carrying a bunch of pipes, and she quickly follows him.

"Wait!"

"Come on. Hurry up."

Dust permeated the air and the floors cracked with every step we'd take. Deep in the entrance hall was a curved staircase, in its left and right there were hallways. Classroom lined up the hallways, it's nameplates hung down from the wall, unreadable and covered with dust.

"Use this room." Naru said, glancing at a classroom near the entrance hall. Probably the former lab room with big lab tables lined up in rows and columns. They went in.

The room was brighter than the entrance hall. The floor was covered with dust, and the walls were worn. Nauru placed the pipes on one of the tables.

"Start building the shelves."

"O…kay…" _He expects me to know how to do it instantly? Well, I can't really carry such heavy equipments as those at the van…_

He stared at her, waiting a for a complaint or anything similar. She just started to prepare the shelves.

"Don't worry."

"Huh?" She looks up at him. His back faced her and he didn't look at her as he talked.

"I won't take long."

"…" _Ah… Naru-chan, you're a good person, even with that personality of yours, ne?_ "Yes, boss!"

He nods and walks out of the room.

 _I better do this quickly. Nana-nee will get worried if I take too long._

* * *

The both of them quickly put together all the equipment and shelves that were needed. After bringing all the necessary equipment to the room, Naru immediately starts to put everything on its place. Connecting cables, machines and wires to an electrical circuit, with the confidence of someone that knows what they're doing.

Mai helped along, putting thermometers in different rooms, so they could know which rooms would have more activity, because according to Naru, the place where a ghost resides would have lower temperature than other rooms. Afterwards, she was instructed to record the temperatures in each room, and Naru was now looking at the results.

"There is nothing out of the ordinary. The first floor's temperature is a little low now, but not significantly enough."

Mai looks absently minded to the room they'd taken as a 'base' of sorts. The place was filled to the brim with televisions and strange equipment that she'd not have much knowledge about.

"Heey, Shibuya-san?" _Can't go calling him 'Naru-chan', ne?_

"Hmm…?"

"If places with ghosts have an lower temperature than normal, does it means that this room, going by it's temperature, would have the lowest chance to have ghosts?"

"Not exactly. We can't really say with sure."

"Why?"

"Well, simply put, ghosts are very shy."

"Shy?"

"Paranormal phenomenon often occur in uninhabited areas. And so, when people move into such areas, ghosts normally go into hiding."

"So, if it shows immediately? I mean, there are some places that people pass years being haunted. And in some cases, I read that it begins almost immediately."

Naru looks at her with surprise in his eyes. She looks away, scratching her cheek in embarrassment.

"I… may have read some things about ghosts."

"Ah, that's good. You're not the total amateur that I thought."

Mai looks angrily at him. "I could very well be a amateur. But you couldn't say anything since you asked for my help, _boss._ "

Naru looks at her with what could be hurt in his eyes. But sighs and close his eyes with resign.

"I guess you're right. But, to answer your question, the time that it takes to the spirit make itself know can say much about it. Specially with the way it makes itself know. Depending on how much time and which form it communicates with us, it will tell how much power it can have and with what type of spirit we are dealing with."

"Hmmm…"

He looks at her with attentive eyes, waiting for any questions.

"Is that all, Taniyama-san?" She looks at him, her brown eyes shining with questions and wonder, but decides that she can learn more after they get the work done.

"Honestly? No. But that can wait! Is there anything more that need to be done?" She smiles at him.

He blinks at the sight of her smile. _What a strange girl…_

"Yes. Please, place four of these infrared cameras on the first and second floor, and one in the entrance."

"Yes, boss!" She salutes and goes on her merry way.

* * *

After putting the cameras, they walk back to the room to see if everything is working as it should. After checking, Naru turns to face her.

"That was tiring. You should go home now."

"You sure?" Even as she asks this, she is already getting her school bag.

"Yes. I'm leaving anyway. There's nothing to be done right now. And, it's getting dark already." They walk out of the room and to the entrance hall.

"Hey, are you psychic? 'Cause, you don't really look like one. I mean, Hara Masako-san, that psychic that has her own ghost show, she doesn't use all of those things. And what about the equipment that you left?"

"Hmpft. Aren't you a curious one?" He smirks at her. She blushes at him. And quickly looks away, pouting.

"Sorry about it…." She murmurs, still pouting and looking delectably at the ground. _I guess I can't help about it… Besides, I want to know more about this ghost world._

He snorts at her response as go down the steps in front of the old building.

"It's okay, really. The camera is set up to record automatically."

"Oh."

They stop at the van, the sunset in it's final stage. Illuminating the city with its last golden, orange and purplish mix of light.

"But, no. I'm not a psychic. You don't need to be a psychic to be a ghost hunter." And that was it. Mai had the feeling that she shouldn't push too much.

"Ok then." She nods. "Will I continue to work with you for the rest of this… hm…case?"

He turns his back at her and says as he walks away, "Meet me here by the van after school tomorrow."

Mai sweatdrops as she watches Naru walk away. _He is such a drama queen._

* * *

 _I'm so screwed._

And Mai was sure about it. It was already dark and she was late again. _Nana-nee will be disappointed with me…_

She was walking out of the front gate, when she heard Keiko's voice screaming for her.

"Mai!" Mai turns to see Keiko and Michiru at the gate's side.

"Guys! What are you two doing here so late?" She asks as she waits for them to stop at her side.

"Heeee, you go and stays the entire afternoon with that cutie Shibuya-san and hopes that we don't come and question you about it?"

"Yeah, Mai! Keiko is right! Now…" They each put an arm around Mai's shoulders. "What did you guys talked about?"

Mai chuckles at them, amused by their behavior.

"Oi, that's the motive of such an ambush?"

"Of course not. Wanna go to the Karaoke that opened one block down the clinic?"

 _Ah, they are not so frivolous as to wait for me just because of a boy… What is it with the suddenly Naru-style thought?!_

"But first! Answer the question! What did you two talked about?"

"Apparently, he is an ghost hunter. He is here for the old school building."

"Whaaaaat?" Keiko drones.

"So, Shibuya-kun isn't a transfer student?"

"Nope. Just working for the school, really."

"Damn."

"At least, we won't have any love rivals, ne?" Keiko smiles at them and Michiru nods.

 _Really guys? Love rivals? Do you guys think that Naru doesn't have a life out of here? If you go by your logic, you are each others' rival!_

"Taniyama-san."

They turn to see Kuroda looking at them. She walks briskly in their direction and stops once she's at arms reach.

"Hi, Kuroda-san…" Mai says hesitantly. "Do you need something?" _Where did this girl comes from? Appearing randomly like that…_

"I couldn't help but to hear your talk… That boy, Is he a psychic?" _An eavesdropper._

Mai sighs. "No, Kuroda-san. He is not."

"But you did just say that he came here for the old school building."

Mai lifts an eyebrow at her. "But I also said that he is a ghost hunter." Kuroda raised her eyebrows in confusion.

"Ghost hunter?"

Mai smiles as she says, "Yeah, you don't really need to be a psychic to work with the supernatural." Kurd stares at her with a frown, but then smiles at her as she asks.

"Ah, can you introduce me to him?"

Keiko pushes her aside and says, "Oi, she's kind of strange. Asking all those question. Be careful with this." Mai looks at her and nods. She turns back to Kuroda.

"You already know him, Kuroda-san. You don't need me to introduce you. You can meet him tomorrow after school at the old school building. But you should be careful of what you say to him."

"Oh? Why?" She asks sarcastically.

"He doesn't like amateurs."

Kuroda narrows her eyes at Mai, looking disdainfully at her. "I'm not an amateur like you."

Mai stops and stares at her. _Such a rude person… Or is it arrogance? Can be both, can't it be?_

"But Naru-chan is still a professional. So, please respect that." _Ops. I slipped._

"Neee Maiiii…" Michiru says as she pinches her cheeks. "Calling him Naru-chan and being so defensive of him already… Is there something that you didn't tell us?"

"Naru for Narcisstic. Don't get so exited about it."

"You're so mean."

"And you should not be chatting at this hour in front of your closed school, Taniyama Mai."

The four girls stop and turn to stare at the beautiful blonde woman standing in front of them. She was glaring playfully at Mai, with her hands in fists on top of her hips. Her long hair was in a high ponytail, she was wearing skinny jeans and a button-up orange blouse. Her feet were covered by black knee high, high-heels boots.

Michiru, Keiko and Kuroda stared at the impossibly beautiful woman. There was something about the woman that made her otherworldly to them. Her golden hair shined in the dark of the early night. She walked in their direction, her long legs making her reach them rapidly.

As she stops at Mai's side, they can't help but blush at the bright and kind smile she trows at them.

"Nee-chan!"

Keiko looks with wide eyes at Mai. "She is your older sister?!"

"Eh, Mai? She's obviously not-Japanese. You were really unlucky if all you got were those looks of yours." Michiru says to Mai in an dazed voice.

"Eh? What does you mean by that, Michiru?!" Mai says, her doe eyes shining with false hurt, as she jokingly puts her hand above her chest.

Nanashi laughs at the girls interaction. _Such cute innocent children…_

"Nana-nee! Stop laughing!"

She only laughs more.

* * *

"Bye girls!" Shouts Mai, as she waves to her two friends. Kuroda had gone away pretty quickly after Nanashi started laughing.

"Bye Mai! Bye Nana-san!"

"Bye!"

Mai and Nanashi walked in comfortable silence for a while with only the sound of the city that surrounding them.

"You were late." Nanette interrupts their silence first. Her eyes never wandering from the path they both were walking.

"I know. I am sorry." Mai says quietly as she looks at her feet.

"…The principal called. Said something about you working for a Shibuya guy that he hired for a service at the old school building, he told me that you broke some high tech camera." Mai turns her neck quickly, her eyes boring into Nanashi's face.

"He called?" Nanashi closes her eyes at the quiet, guilt filled voice of her ward. Her eyes are closed, but Nanashi's stride doesn't falter.

"Of course he did. And he told me that your curiosity caused someone to get hurt." Mai turns away dejectedly, her eyes blank.

"Yeah…"

Nanashi stops and turns to her, her eyes are dark and serious. Disappointed.

"Did you think that you could hide this from me? That this Shibuya guy didn't need my authorization to get you to work in his assistant place?" Mai looks up to her, her eyes are shinning with tears.

"You talked to him?"

"No, Mai. I didn't. I talked with your headmaster through the phone. I was going to go to your school, but he said it was not necessary." Nanashi sighs and rubs her neck. "Look, you know that I don't like this kind of thing. And I know you can deal with it, but try to think before you act, ok? It's not, like, I won't be there for you, because you know that I love you, kit. So, no worries, but try to be more careful from here now ok?" She opens her arms and smiles at her little ward. "Now, come and gimme a hug, ok?"

Mai stares at her blankly for some moments, but then smiles at her guardian, tears running down her face. She quickly hugs the blonde with all her might.

"I promise, nee-chan."

* * *

Today's dinner was sushi. They were sitting in their kitchen's table, chatting about Mai's day of school.

"And that black girl with the glasses? She didn't even talked with me… But I'm sure I've seen her somewhere." Nanashi asks her ward. Mai looks up to the ceiling thoughtfully as she answers.

"She was in my middle school. Kuroda-san was famous for her sensitivity to ghosts. Always given warnings about something."

"Che. Lying child, she is."

"I know! If she was really sensitive to something, she would have sensed something from you, right? And, really, even _I_ can tell that the old building isn't as filled with spirits as she says so."

Nanashi smiles amusedly. "Even if she was sensitive, she wouldn't sense anything from me unless I allowed it." Mai looks at her guardian with a questionably look in her face.

"Don't underestimate me, kiddo! I'm, like, totally capable of blocking some little humans from my presence." She trows an secretive smile at her ward. Mai smirks back.

"Yessu, nee-chan!"

"And don't underestimate yourself, kiddo. You have more power than you think."

...

"Good night, Mai." Nanashi says to her ward as she turns off the light of Mai's room.

"Nee-chan, tomorrow I will have to stay late at school again." Mai says timidly. The blonde stops and looks back at her ward.

"It's because of the work with Shibuya, ne?" Nanashi says with an gentle smile on her face, as she sit on Mai's bed.

"Yeah…"

Nanashi smiles and leans down to kiss her ward's forehead.

"Don't worry." She fusses over her, and plays with her hair. "But he better treat you right." She smiles playfully at Mai.

"Don't you worry, Nana." Mai smiles at her, her eyes glazed with sleep. "Naru-chan is a good person."

Nanashi stops.

Mai is already asleep.

* * *

 _Naru-chan is a good person._

Nanashi sits atop Tokyo tower. One of her legs are tucked close to her chest, her chin rests above her knee. The other leg is dangling on the edge. Totally uncaring of how high she was.

 _ **Naru-chan is a good person.**_

Her eyes are glazed. Unseeing.

 _ **Naru-chan is…**_

The night life of Tokyo City illuminates her with its fickle, artificial light. But she is uncaring by it. She is totally absorbed by her chaotic thoughts.

 _ **Naru-chan.**_

The sounds of the universe ( _Only she can hear them._ ), pass swiftly through her. All those secrets that she should not know, that so many people wanted to know, she ignores them.

 **Naru. Naruto.**

…

She cries.

* * *

" _I want to be Hokage."_

* * *

She doesn't understand.

She knows that when she was alive, she was a ninja. She knew how to fight, and kill, and hurt. But she also knew how to love. To love so fiercely that it burned. She also dreamed. She dreamed about red, and pink, and silver, and black. And little bit of green.

And with time ( _So, so much time_ ) came words. Words like fate, copy, seal, heal, bonds. And then came people. She knew, somehow, that fate was connected to a guy.

And then, came dear Mai. Mai brought eyes and names. Not hers, mind you. ( _What a shame. A fox that doesn't know it's name. At least you wont ever be controlled._ )

Mai brought White Eyes, and Red Eyes, and Circled Eyes. There was Green Eyes too, and Black Eyes.

And recently, she even know that someone was named after a bolt! And that Neji-san ( _Bolt, Neji, Boruto_ ), liked fate! ( _She doesn't understands that too. Fate was a bitch._ )

But, Nanashi was feeling like Mai did something wrong this time. Mai may have done something that she shouldn't.

 _ **HerHEADhurtsHEADhurtsHEADhurts**_

Maybe. Like, totally maybe.

…

She thinks that her name was ( _Is?)_ Naruto. But why would someone name her after a fishcake?!

* * *

"Today is FRIDAY!" Mai shouts enthusiastically as she puts her shoes at the entrance. She listens her guardian's chuckle behind her.

"Calm down, kit. You still have a long day to go." Her guardian's smile is tired, but she's still trying, so Mai keeps smiling. She knows that Nana-nee enjoys her smile, she told her.

"Hehehe… I know! But it is still nice, isn't it?"

"If you say so, kiddo. Here. That's your bento for today's lunch. I hope you like it. It is fruit themed, today." Nanashi says with a tired, but genuine, smile.

"Thank you, Nana-nee." Mai takes the bento from her guardian's delicate-looking hands. She looks up at her face. There is no physical sign of tiredness on her face, Nanashi still looks dazzlingly beautiful and fresh as a daisy. But it's her smile, her eyes and _her aura_ that told Mai that Nanashi was tired. But she smiles at Nana-nee, because that's the only thing she could do.

 _Maybe we should eat ramen this weekend. Yeah. We totally should._

"I'm going now!"

"Be careful!"

* * *

 _Hm… What is this?_

Nanashi floats above Mai's school. She was looking out for her kit, when she noticed it.

Her nice, white, long sundress flares wildly as she stares down the creature in _her_ territory.

 _An youkai… No._

She narrows her eyes at the being.

 _An shiki._

Her energy boils inside her.

 _Who is your Master? Who would dare to enter my territory?_

She flashes, and suddenly she is behind the being, her claws at his neck. A thin trail of blood goes down his neck.

" **You are trespassing. Speak or die.** "

The male shiki freezes.

" **Who is your Master?** "

* * *

And that's it!

So, how Naruto ended up in this world/time/dimension/whatever, you will have to find out with her! ;P

I'll try to end the first case quickly, as it is most just introducing everything and such. But I'll try to keep things new and exciting. Adding and changing some things. Like Mai's comportment in some cases, showing the influence of someone that she considers family and that saved her.

Originally, she lived with a professor. But it was just a mention and this professor didn't seem to cause much impact in her life. So I tried to show the influence of another person. She doesn't change much, but really, the story has just started!

And I am so confused about where to put 'at', 'in' or 'on'. And 'an' and 'a'. So lost. T.T

And used mainly the light novel and the anime as a base to the Ghost Hunt part of this crossover.

If you have something you wanna ask, feel free to do it.

Please, inform me of any mistakes. There must have so many of them.

~MariDark


	3. First Truth III

the Way

Naruto and Ghost Hunt does not belong, in any possible way, to myself.

 _Many sentences in this story were taken and/or inspired from the mangá, anime or the Light Novel/script that I have found on the internet._

 _Thanks to Baka-Tsuki for the script. Couldn't do this without the help of your hard work._

First Truth - Chapter Three

Shikigami were strange creatures in Nana's opinion. Spirits that could only be sane in servitude, they'd always forget their past to live only in present time, some could see a bit of the future, but only the future that was related to their master. They couldn't travel through the Human World by themselves, so to see one of them strolling in a Japanese human school could only mean that one of them was there by the orders of it's master.

The shiki by themselves couldn't do anything without the master's order, they were mainly used to spying, sealing and in the craft of barriers, besides, in most cases the master was the main threat. Nanashi learned that bit of information the hard way.

She really didn't like to deal with onmyoji.

" **Who is your Master?** "

The atmosphere was tense, Nanashi's killing intent totally directed to the male shiki frozen before her. His body was shaking with the pressure of her intent alone. A drop of blood came from the tiny wound her claws made when she pressed them harder at his skin, the blood ran down his neck and disappeared beneath his white, neutral kimono. His face was covered by an crow's mask, covering his expressions. Its white surface shining with the early morning sunlight.

"You… You are … an youkai? What is an youkai like you doing in such a place?" The shiki asks with an faint voice. Yet, it has a muskiness that screams maleness in it.

With narrowed eyes, Nanashi presses harder at his neck with her sharp claws.

"That was not the answer to my question, shiki." The lesser being trembled at her sharp tone.

"A onmyoji… An Chinese man by the name of Lin Koujo. He's my master." The male shiki murmured.

"And what does your Master wants? What would make an onmyoji send his shikigami to an Japanese school?" Her voice was quiet, just a whisper in the wind.

"He can not be here to make his own work. He is incapable of doing it at this moment."

"And what is this work of his?"

"Some psychic human thing, youkai-sama."

Nanashi arches her eyebrow at the term. _Sama? Flattering is not going to get you anywhere, shiki._

"Humpft." She draws back her claws and return them to their human form, where there were sharp inhuman claws was now normal human nails. She took a step back and watched as the shiki quickly turned in her direction, his body tense and ready for whatever was to happen next.

She quickly casted a glance over him. Staring for an moment at his long, sleek black hair. He was taller than her, with a long white and simple kimono covering his body, each of his hands were hidden by his kimono sleeves.

"What's with this 'sama' thing, now? Don't you think that flattering will, like, save you, I mean it!" She glares at him, her striking blue eyes shining with dare at him.

He tilted his head to the side. Curiosity passing through him as he stares at the enchanting, but dangerous being glaring at him. She was truly marvelous. With her tan skin and striking bright yellow hair, shining cerulean eyes glares daringly at him. _She pouts when she is angry… I wonder what type of youkai could she be… With this kind of beauty and power…_ Because, if even in her human disguise she couldn't hide her alluring and powerful aura, the shiki could only wonder what could her youkai form be like.

Nanashi blinks at the sudden pondering feeling coming from the shiki, her cheeks reddening when she noticed his obvious assessment of her.

"Any-anyway! You're not here to harm any child, right?" Her eyes turned his soul apart, looking for any signal of untrustworthiness. It was an delightful felling for the shiki.

She could hear an smirk in his voice as answered. "No, milady, I'm not."

"Huh? Milady?" She tilts her head confusedly. Now that she could see that he wouldn't do any harm to the children, she was starting to feel more relaxed at his presence. _There is something about this shikigami…_

"You are of higher status than me. And a much higher status, mind you. I can feel it. This absolute power of yours."

"But, you have an master. How can you be so submissive?"

He chuckles darkly at her remark. "Milady, my master is only one more human who I follow to in this eternity. Be certain, he's entertaining now, but I can not see the future."

"What? How can you speak of him like that? He's your master!" She's ask with an troubling look in her face.

"And a good one. He saved me, and I pledged myself. I'm truly grateful, and will protect and obey him to the day of my death. But I know what may come of me once this contract is over."

"What may come of you? Don't tell me… You're a First Generation Shikigami?"

"Yes, milady. Shikigami of my stature can only be captured once, and we stay with our master through his and, if he so wishes it, his kin's life." She could hear the apathy in his voice as he answered.

" _As long as there is blood of my blood, this spirit that was evoked shall follow…_ That's the curse of the Chained Shiki. But this curse is forbidden!" She shouted indignantly. She was there when it happened. _I made it happen!_

"Unfortunately, the world is not fair. But do not fret, milady. My Master has not casted the Chain upon me. He is conflicted by his own blood. His father wishes it, but my Master's morals interfere with his kin's desire."

"They desire it? But the price for such a spell…" She looked at him with sad and desperate eyes. Their debts glazed over by unnecessary sorrow for someone that just moments ago she would kill without remorse. _Or would she?_

"You know how desperate human can be, milady."

"So, does it means that you've just got out of Limbo, right? The Kingdom of the Lost…" She stares at him with a distant glim in her eyes. "Yet, you do not seem to be as…hazy… as those who've leaved recently the Limbo. You seem too lucid."

"Oh, milady. I am lost, and worse than that, I am alone. Milady, I ask of you just one thing. However strong you become, never seek to bear everything alone. If you do, failure is certain. Do not become lost, milady. You have too much hope hidden in you. Don't make the mistakes that so many have done. That _I_ have done."

And , as he gazed at her with such a powerful feeling of longing for something that he does not know, he sees as she suddenly is too still. Too ethereal and otherworldly. He watched as all the universe's secrets open _willing_ to her as her eyes darken to an striking purple. _Her eyes hold all the stars…_

"Curiouser and curiouser…" He whispered to himself.

…

Nanashi was confused. The shiki was an interesting male, and he was an fighter. She could hear it. The Whispers were telling her about how strong, powerful and sad he once was. And out of the blue she was feeling everything. She could feel every emotion he had ever felt in his past life. A myriad of emotions that burned with a will of fire.

 _ **His Will of Fire**_.

Love. Love so absolute once ran through his veins. An desire that burned so brightly, but so quietly…

 _ **He was emotionless. He had to be.**_

And power, he once had so much power in his soul and body. But an sickness fell over him, and he didn't have much time…

 _ **He died young.**_

But he didn't die alone. No… he was with _him_. The one who was the reason for his sacrifice.

 _ **His was an martyr.**_

He loved. He cried. He bled. He hated. He sinned. He died.

He **survived**. He **fought**.

…

In the end, she stayed with him for the rest of the school hour. They watched over the school together as she explained the human culture of Japan to the shiki.

Nanashi didn't really understand what she had _heard_ about him. She just _knew_. And it was a really invasive feeling, to know such personal tidbits of things that even he probably didn't know about. But she was already used with this ability of hers. And she knew that it was best to keep her mouth shut and to not utter a single word. And so she didn't say anything, although she had so many questions.

She couldn't really understand whatever was that she'd just heard. And she just didn't understand this strange power of hers, that could make her _know_ even when not _knowing_.

Maybe it was remnants of her human mind making her brain seem slower, or the fact that her emotions were like a crazy roller coaster at the moment. But she'd didn't understand, and all of those new memories were just making her more confused and sad and happy and nostalgic. And maybe a little bit crazy.

But, for some reason, Nanashi kinda felt like _Naruto_ again. ( _She didn't really know what Naruto felt like, she just kinda felt like Naruto. If that made any sense._ )

…

When the school day ends, they watched as all the students go to their homes or their club activities. The two floated above the school building, gazing down at all the children as they laugh and speak with their respective friends.

"They won't notice you up here?" The male shiki asks, his voice amused.

"Nope. I've made myself invisible to them." Nanashi answers as she crosses her arms behind her back.

"Oh. They won't see me, ever. I'm not capable of being in more than one world. And, like the majority of them, I'm stuck to only one." He says.

She turns her head to him, with a little smile adorning her lips.

"I can not even remember the last time I was stuck to only one world…"

"That's a bold statement. Surely you remember your time of Before. With as much power as you have, comes age. And with time surely you can remember Beyond." He looks surprised at her.

"Ah, but it is not like that for me. I'm kind of Fate's bitch. She drags me wherever she wants, the way she wants it."

He tilts his head to her.

"Tis something audacious to say out aloud like this, milady."

"Like I care." She turns her nose upwards and purses her lips. Her eyes closed and her eyebrows knitted.

He laughs at her.

 _Damn, that's a good laugh._

And, yeah, he did notice that she'd just changed the subject.

* * *

When the school day ended, after listening and laughing of her classmates' accusations of this 'sly' side of hers meeting a boy after school, Mai ran to the old school building. Coming to a stop when she'd reached the van's side. Nauru was sitting on the back of the car, looking at his laptop.

"Hello!" She tried to sound as excited as she felt.

He shifted his attention to her, lifting an eyebrow at her beaming smile.

"You're checking yesterday's recording?" She asks as she inclines her body to have a better view of the computer's screen.

"Yes. And it seems that nothing unusual happened." He answers and angles his body away from her, his eyes never leaving the screen.

"Does it mean that there is no ghost in the building?"

"We can not tell yet. They could still be hiding. Regardless of the answer, the build ing does not have as much danger as thought before."

 _There really wasn't much danger to begin with…_ Mai could definitely tell that, at least spiritually, the old building was not dangerous.

"Hee, are those equipment of yours working?"

Both of them looked up, surprised by the presence of other people. Standing behind Mai, there was an couple. A redheaded woman with extravagant clothes and an cocky smile, standing behind her was a tall man with bleached long hair and a lazy smile on his face.

"Do you even know how to use those expansive toys of yours? Are they even yours, kid?" The redheaded woman asked, laughing scornfully at them.

Naru stared at them, and Mai simply glared. _How rude._ She thought, a frown on her face as she glared at the rude woman. Nauru stood up and step in front of Mai, staring down at the couple.

"And could you tell me, who are you guys?"

The woman smiled, her red lips glinting. _Beautiful, but with no charm at all…_

"I'am Matsuzaki Ayako. Nice to mee-"

"I have no interest in your names."

The woman glared at Naru, her eyebrow twitching in annoyance.

"With an face as handsome as that, but with such arrogance. It is truly a pity." _You're not much better, lady._

"Thank you." Mai smiled softly at his response. He was truly a confident young man.

"Forget it. Although, you can't really exorcize anything with that pretty face of yours, can you?" Ayako crosses her arms and smiles arrogantly at them.

"Are we in the same industry?" Naru lifts an eyebrow at them.

"I guess. But I guess you could say that I'm higher in status than you, little boy." Naru just keeps staring at her. She narrow her at him. "I'm a miko."

They both stare at the woman with blank, doubtful eyes. _A priestess?_

"I thought that mikos where supposed to be young, pure maidens. Not…That." And he nods vaguely to the redheaded woman.

"And what does you mean with those vague gestures and those words?! Are you calling me old?!"

Mai and the blond man hide their laugh behind their hands.

"I didn't say anything. But If the shoe fits…" Naru shrugs his shoulders, a fake innocent look in his eyes.

Ayako growls at him, making a fist with her left hand in front of her, she takes a step forward when the blond man's voice booms with laugher and mockery behind her.

"She also puts too much make-up on her face. It's too stiff." Awake stops trows a superior look at the man.

"I'm just too naturally beautiful. I guess you really can't just see it, but my face is perfect the way it is. _Natural._ " And with that she walks closer to Mai and Naru, stoping just in front of them and staring them down. "The show is over for you, brats. Step aside and let professionals, like me, do their work." With her jeering face, she laughed at them. "You want to know what the principle says of you? He says that you are _unreliable_. You just aren't skilled enough to get the job done."

Mai just hoped that Nanashi made a appearance. She would love to show the dammed redheaded woman how ugly she was. _Inside and out. She's such an fake person. And rude._ As Mai stared at the woman's face she decided to put her own words in the conversation as well.

"Well, than please, old wise lady, teach us, unreliable brats." Mai stares frostily at the woman, who narrowed her eyes at Mai. Nauru smirks at her remark, then looks at the man with questioning eyes.

"And what about you? You do not seem like Matsuzaki-san's assistant."

"Like I would ever be this woman's assistants." He says amused. "I'm Takigawa Houshou, a monk from Kouya Mountain."

Naru turned away from the par, sitting on the back of the van again. With a bored voiced he replayed.

"Kouya Mountain allows long hair, now?"

"Yeah, aren't monks supposed to be bald? Or at least, have really short hair, or something?" Mai asks confusedly.

"He must been an outcast." Ayako snorts at the blond men, who in turn glares at her. He choose to ignore her and turns back to the younger pair.

"And who are you, girl? Should a student been here? Don't tell me you two are dating, and you're helping your little boyfriend there?" Mai stares at him with wide eyes and her mouth hanging open, her entire face redding up with her embarrassment. Naru just stares with boredom at all the ruckus they were making.

"I'm not his girlfriend! Stop assuming so much about us! We've just met, and everything you guys have been doing is mocking us about how unprofessional we are! Well, look at yourself before accusing someone, dammit!" Mai shouts with anger and embarrassment. _Honestly, those people…_

"Eh, such a spitfire you are."

"Who are you calling unprofessional here, little girl?!"

Mai sweatdrops at the monk's lazy smile and the redhead's glare. _They are truly idiots, or what?_

"Anyways," The priestess throws her hair back as she speaks arrogantly. "Who are you, brats?"

Mai takes a deep breath and prepares herself to throw a speech at the insufferable woman, but Naru takes a step forward.

"You should go talk to the principal and find it out by yourselves."

"We already did. He said you are from a paranormal investigation office at Shibuya Street."

"If you already know that, you can search for the rest. "

The monk smirks coldly at Naru's response.

"...The principal also mentioned that he thought he could trust this office because of its prestigious location. He never thought that the head of the investigation would be a little kid. Boy, does he feel duped."

"Thank you for nothing." _Naru, you have it today. Ice doesn't even begin to explain how cold you are._

Ayako approaches them and leans on the car.

"That principal is quite the worrywart…"

"Yeah." Houshou agreed.

"After all, I'm more than enough to deal with evil spirits or whatnots like this. I can easily exorcise them. So make yourselves scarce and leave it to me." Ayako leans over Naru and gazes down at him. He just stares indifferently at her.

"Please, detach yourself of my van and my personal bubble." She frowns at him but gets away from the van and goes back to stand besides the monk. "And feel free to help us, if you can, of course."

"Ha. You sure have guts, kid. What's your name?"

"Shibuya Kazuya."

"Shibuya Kazuya? Never heard of you." Ayako says.

"Neither did I heard of you. So I guess we are even, right?"

" _That_ is because you do not keep up with your studies, brat."

"Never heard of either of you." Houshou added.

 _Those 'psychic' people all have personalities as strong as theirs?_ Mai sweatdrops, again, at their argument.

Looking away from the trio, Mai glimpsed around an stopped when she'd noticed a girl wearing uniform walking their way. As the girl approaches, Mai noticed it was Kuroda. _And so, she came._ Mai lifted her arm and waved back to the girl when she saw Kuroda waving at her.

"Taniyama-san."

"Kuroda-san." _I don't really know how to deal with her_.

Kuroda glanced at the van to see the priestess and the monk deep in argument and Naru fiddling with the equipment.

"Who's that couple?"

"The principal called them to investigate the old school building. The redhead is, apparently, a priestess and the man is a monk." Kuroda raises an eyebrow at them.

"Really…"

They turned to them when the duo noticed the black haired girl.

"Hello, are you guys here to exorcise the ghosts in the old school building?" Kuroda bowed with a smile in greeting.

"Yes, that's right. And you are?" Ayako asks, examining

"Ah, I'm a student here. Kuroda Naoko. Thank you very much for your work. This ghost-nest of an building always made me unease." Ayako stared intensely at Kuroda.

"And how is that possible?"

"I… I have strong strong psychic powers… So it'd always annoyed me…" _There she comes again. The attention-seeking class prep._ Though Mai's thoughts weren't the kindest, her face didn't betray anything, maintaining the appearance of annoyance it had since the coming of the priest and the priestess. She had control over herself.

But Ayako didn't.

"Attention lover."

"Huh?"

"You only enjoy the attention you get by all this 'strong psychic powers' nonsense, right? Are you so desperate?" Ayako pressed.

"She's telling the truth. You do not have a drop of psychic power." Houshou added.

"I can tell by only looking at her. She just likes the attention that comes with true psychic powers." Ayako shot Kuroda a scornful look before turning around.

Kuroda stared at grounds with her hands shaking and her fringe covering her eyes.

"I do… I do have psychic powers …"

"Kuroda-san!" Mai cried out. Trying to make the girl keep her mouth shut and do not humiliate herself more than she'd already had.

"My psychic powers are strong…" And the shaking hands stopped, she lifted her face and looked directly at Ayako's eyes, her hands fisted and with a determinate and enraged look in her face. "My powers are strong and I summon them upon you, fake-priestess. You will regret this."

"And I'll be waiting for it. Sitting on an armchair. Or laying on my couch. Besides, my _regret_ will come slowly." Ayako answers with a amused smile.

Kuroda purses her lips a goes away.

…

The situation was a bit on the chaotic side, but it could be dealt with. Mai decided to just stay away from the duo. _From now on, they are dubbed Bou-san, the Monk and Miko-san, the Priestess._ Mai chuckles at her silly thoughts. With a smile on her face, she turns to Naru.

"Ne, Naru-chan, what do you have for me today?"

Naru stared at her in shock.

"What… What did you just called me?"

Mai blinks at him confusedly.

"What's wrong?"

"You just called me _Naru-chan_."

"Eh? Hehehe… Ops?" _I should have just waited for orders. How embarrassing._ She lifts her hand and scratches the back of her head. "Sorry." She says with red cheeks and a sheepish smile.

"Where did you heard that?" Naru asked with a frown in marring his face.

"Is that your nickname?" She raises a eyebrow at him, a mischievous smirk adorning her lips. "Seems like I'm not the first person to call you narcissistic, Naru-chan."

He just stares at her with an indescribable expression. She looks away with an pained expression, fake tears running down her face. _He doesn't even blink! And it was a good comeback too!_

She sighs and turns to him again with an resigned smile on her lips. _Not the reaction I was expecting, but that's just fine._

"Your senior, Mai." He says with an composed face.

"Eh? Are we in first name basis?"

"You did just give me an nickname."

"Yeah, I guess so…" She sighs.

"Anyways, which classroom did your senior saw the shadow, Mai?"

"She's not my senior… But she saw it on the second floor in the empty classroom on the far west wing."

"Got it." He turns to the equipment on the van. "Go install the equipment there. Let's not let that room alone, it could give us useful data." And with that he turns and starts walking towards the old building.

Just as Mai was going to follow him, she sees two silhouettes coming their way. She lifts her hands and stops him by holding the black sleeve of his coat.

"Wait, Naru-chan, isn't that the principal?" He stops and looks the direction she was pointing to. Bou-san and Miko-san looked as well, with puzzling expressions of their own.

"Yeah… But who's that person by his side?" Bou-san whispers.

"Don't tell me… Is it another psychic?!" Miko-san added.

They watched as the principal chatted amiably with the other person. As he noticed them by the van he smiled at them. _Like a tanuki…_

The principal was a sly man, often Mai compared him to an tanuki, a raccoon dog. Mai did heard the student saying that he and the head instructor could both be like foxes. But she didn't really agreed with them. _To compare those people to foxes? It's a disgrace to Nana-nee._

As the duo approached, Mai couldn't help but think that the principal did looked like a tanuki. Turning to the other person, Mai thought that it could be a student, because he was short and young. Blond with blue eyes wearing a green sweater with an pinkish shirt underneath.

"Ah, everyone is together." He turns to the blond. "This is the other guest. Let me introduce him." The principal smiled warmly. "This is Jonh Brown-san. Please welcome him everybody." Mai sweat dropped at the principal. _You're treating him like an transfer student._

Brown-san gave them a deep bow. "How y'all doin?"

 _What?!_

The quartet stared dumbstruck at the blond.

"I be John Brown. Glad ta meet y'all."

 _Is this…_

The principal forced a smile on his face. "Brown-san learned Japanese in Kansai…"

Miko-san and Monk-san busted out laughing. Poor Brown seemed a bit lost. _So this is a real foreigner… It's not really funny. It's normal to not know something… But I guess even Nana would be laughing now…_

With a puzzle look, the principal said he was leaving it to them and ran away from them.

Brown turned toward the principal' figure.

"Thank ya!"

And so Bou-san and Miko-san laughed out and loud again. Mai just looked concerned at Brown-san, while Naro woe a stiff expression.

Mai turned to the laughing duo with a stern expression. _Really guys, you're being rude. It's funny and all, but there is a limit to how rude you can be._

"Brown-san, where are you from?"

"I be comin' from Australia." Brown looked at the laughing duo in bewilderment. "Is my Jabanese really strange?"

Mai smiled warmly at him. "It is a bit strange."

Naru smiled wryly. "Pretty strange."

Brown took a deep breath and closed his eyes with resignation. "Jabanese be so dif'cult!"

"Hey kiddo!" Bou-san shouted. "I'm begging you! Please, stop using that weird Kyoto accent."

"There ain't no other talk way thaz mo' polite than this Kansai-ben talk."

"Who taught this guy Japanese!" Bou-san exclaimed.

Mai decided to handle the situation. In her opinion, Bou-san was just rude and would end up just upsetting Brown.

"Brown-san," Mai began. "Kansai-ben is a dialect. It would be better to not speak it. It could lead you to confusing situations."

"Ah," Brown nodded with a understanding expression. "If I don' speak, then ever'body can jus' get 'long. Y'all are psychics?"

Mai smiled sheepishly to him. _It's still very strange…_

"Well," Naru responded. "More or less. The redhead is Matsuzaki-san, a miko. And he's Takigawa-san, a former monk on Kouya Mountain."

"An' you two?"

"I'm a ghost hunter, and she's a student here who is helping me."

"Then this here equipment in da car is all yours?" Brown asked with wide eyes. Naru nodded. "Impressive."

"What about you?"

"Ah… I be an exorcist."

"Exorcist?" In an instant, Miko-san and Bou-san stopped laughing and stared at Brown like he was an powerful enemy. _Don't judge a book by it's cover…_

"I thought in Catholicism you can't be an exorcist unless you're ranked higher than a priest… And you do seem young to even be a priest."

"Thas' right, my fella. You is very knowledgable. Howeva', I'm nineteen already. I jus' has a baby face."

Mai chuckled a looked slyly at Naru. "Ne, Naru. You're seventeen, right? It seems he is your senior, and really smart and handsome as well, ne?" Her eyes shined with mischief, remembering their talk in the previous day.

Naru sighs. "It seems like it." He looks back at Brown and then proceeded to advise the priest in his Japanese speech.

Brown nodded along what was said and then smiled in thanks. "Thank ya. What be ya name?"

"Shibuya Kazuya."

"Shibuya-san, hope ya don' min' takin' me aroun' the place first." Naru nodded slightly and then turned to Mai.

"Mai, let's get to work."

"Yes boss!"

* * *

Nanashi and the shiki looked down at the old school building when Nana spotted her ward walking towards a dark van with a dark haired boy sitting on it's backside.

"Ah!" The shiki turns his head at her. "That's my ward. You know, the one you can't even dare to touch without my consent." She proceeds to throw a shining smile at him. His soul trembles with what he think is fear, or could it be more?

He can only notice the allure of her aura. The beautiful myriad of colors dancing around her, and tiny tendrils of shining blue color reaching for his own red aura. In his red world, this world of his that was so clear and slow, he couldn't help but think that she was a kitsune. But he knew that even a kitsune couldn't have such allure. At least, not a simple kitsune.

"Ah, I can see it." He chuckles.

"See what?"

"The way your power, your aura, bends to her. She has potential for a human."

"You can see auras?"

"Yes. It is something physical, I guess. As when I close my eyes I can not see them." He turns to her again, his eyes capturing her own. And through the eye holes of his mask, she sees the glowing red of what she think it is his eyes. She blinks at him.

"That's something useful. But why are you talking about your abilities so easily to some stranger like me?"

"Milady, you could easily put me down. I am a fresh out of the Limbo. I still have a mask and am only a shiki. Be sure milady, you don't need to know about my abilities to put me down. You could easily smash me with only your aura." She blinks at him and does not say that she'd already knew that.

They turned back to the humans beneath them, watching as the monk and the priestess arrived and made a ruckus for nothing.

"I wanna punch that woman. How dare she be so rude?! And they, like, totally ignored my Mai-chan! They're so rude!" Fumed Nanashi as she glared down at the miko.

"I do agreed with you, milady. They are some petty little humans. And so arrogant as well."

* * *

 _Why are those people here with us? Brown-san was the only one that asked to stay with us!_

Mai was fuming alone as they entered the lab room with the equipment. The sound of machinery echoed throughout the room.

As she started to check some equipments, she couldn't help but utter to herself. "Didn't they say that they could do their work alone?" _Leave us to do our own work!_

"These are…" Monk-san mumbled. "I can't believe you brought in this much equipment." Mai and Naru just ignored him.

Miko-san snorted at them. "This is all useless. Hey brat, you better pack this all up. Your show is over."

They ignored her as well.

"Bringing all this stuff is such a waste. You must have tired yourself. And for what? Nothing, I tell you." She taunted.

And Monk-san added, "That's rude." _Who are you to talk about rude?!_ "I starting to have high hopes in you guys. Since you have this kind of equipment, you must be capable." _And he's mocking us. Great._

"And what about you two? Didn't you come here to exorcise sprits? Or did you come to play around? Because I don't see _you_ doing nothing that looks like exorcising."

"If exorcising means mocking others about their work…" Mai added.

Embarrassed, Miko-san turned around. "That's why I hate kids! Well, this must be an earth spirit, as it seems to be showing off a lot!" She ranted out aloud, threw her hair back and walked out of the lab class. Monk-san going out right after her with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

Mai turned to Brown. "Brown-san, would you like to help us?" _He's the only sane one within those psychics…_

After nearly ten television sets were stacked on top of each shelf, the TV screens changed. Now they were showing a view of the corridors. Digital numbers and letters flashed incessantly on the screens. A view of the first and second floor could be seen from the TV placed in the entrance hall. All the screens were immersed in blue and green speckles.

"Those colored speckles are Thermography, right? To indicate the temperature." Mai asked. Naru flashed an impatient look at her. "Don't look at me like that. I'm the amateur, remember?"

He sighed. "Yes. I do remember. Constantly." She just stared at him with a flat look. "Yes, they are to indicate the temperature of the rooms."

"Tha's right. Orange for hot temperatures and blue to cold temperatures."

"Thank you, Brown-san." She smiled at him.

"Ah, it's nothing." He blushes with a smile of his own. "I didn't ask for ya' name, right? Pardon me. You're a student who is assisting Shibuya-san, right?"

"Yeah. I'm Taniyama Mai."

"You can jus' call me John."

She nods with a smile and turns to the TV screen. She saw Monk-san examining his surroundings as he walked into the depths of the hallway. Miko-san was in another screen.

As Mai looked through all the screens, she sees a strange girl wearing a kimono walking towards their base. _She could totally be a ghost…_ She had jet-black hair and seemed to be about Mai's age.

"Naru-chan, there's a strange black haired girl coming here."

"I know." He sounded resigned as he rose and headed towards the door, a blank look on his face. He opened the door to reveal the girl wearing a kimono that Mai saw. _She looks like a doll… Wait, isn't she…_

"The principal…" They turned to Mai as she began talking. "The principal must want us to finish this job quickly since he went as far as inviting you…"

The girl's face didn't change.

Naru closed his eyes and nodded. He walked back to his chair. "That's right. He must be desperate to contract such a famous psychic medium as you, Hara Masako."

John blink in surprise. "Yes. You're one of the best summoners of spirits in Japan, right?"

"Summoning… Like calling spirits out and letting them possess your body and speak, right?" Mai asked John. He nodded in response.

Naru looked at the spirit medium. "What is your evaluation of this building, Hara-san?"

"I'm not sure… Who are you? Have we met before?"

"I think this is the first time we've met. I'm ghost hunter Shibuya Kazuya." _Are you a sucker for pretty faces, Naru-chan? Wait until you meet nee-chan…_ Mai thought with a mischievous smile on her lips.

"…Really…" She said, turning around to face the equipment. "I don't think there is any ghost here. The principal is desperate for nothing really as it does not seems that there is any spirit in the building."

Naru nods as he looks at Mai by the corner of his eyes, Mai who was nodding along what Hara was saying. _She did say something like that… It's still too soon to imply such things._

Suddenly, a loud knocking sound and a woman's scream echoed through the building.

"Isn't that Matsuzaki-san's voice?" John asked faintly.

They rushed out of the room, Naru leading them. They bumped into Bou-san as they left the lab room. They ran to the first floor, where they heard the scream coming from. It echoed through the west side of the first floor. They stopped in front of one of the doors on west side of the first floor.

"What happened?" Naru was the first to reach the door, who wouldn't open. Miko-san banged on the door from inside.

"The door won't open!"

Both Bou-san and Naru couldn't open the door.

"Let's kick it open." Bou-san suggested. "Ayako! Move away!"

"Don't go calling me by my first name, idiot!"

And with a snap and two kicks the door went down to reveal Miko-san's blue face.

"What happened?" Naru asked calmly.

"After I came in, the door shut by itself. It wouldn't open."

"You didn't lock it?"

"No!"

Interrupting the brewing storm of their argument, Hara spoke.

"How embarrassing."

Miko-san turned to the doll like girl.

"What do you mean?"

"How can you call yourself a psychic? Hollering like crazy just because of a door that locks on you. Aren't you embarrassed?" Hara coldly taunted her. Miko-san's face turned red with anger and embarrassment, but she kept her mouth shut.

Bou-san whistled softly turning towards the black-haired girl. "You're Hara Masako?"

"Yes."

"You're prettier in person."

Hara looked at him as if he was dirt beneath her shoes then turned around.

 _The principal is really desperate to contract such people…_ Mai looks at Naru who is crouching by the door. She walks towards him and crouch besides him.

"Did you find something?" She whispers to him. He looks at her with a slight smile.

"Look." He opens his right hand and shows her a nail. Mai eyes widen and she opens her mouth to speak but stops when he lifts his left hand and puts a finger in front of his mouth in a silent gesture. She nods and gets up.

They walk back to the base, side by side.

…

"Well, we must find out what exactly is in this old building." Miko-san declares arrogantly as soon as they step inside the base.

"Aren't you being oversensitive?" Hara-san asks coldly.

"Shut up little girl. I'm not the same as a fake psychic who got popular just because of her looks."

Hara looked at Miko-san with a smile.

"Thank you for complimenting my good looks."

Miko-san huffed angrily and turned away from her.

"I believe it's an earth sprit!" She proclaims.

"Why? Why couldn't it be a Jibakurei?" Mai asks as she sits besides Naru at his desk.

Miko-san looks annoyed at Mai.

"Did you put your assistant through any kind of training, Shibuya?"

Naru was toying with the nail he'd found, his eyes don't look away from it as he answers. "Not yet." Mai looks at him surprised, but smiles brightly. _He'll teach me!_

"Hm. I guess I'll have to start it." She then turns to Mai. "Jibakurei is not the same as an earth spirit. Jibakurei are bound to an area because of an event that occurred. Earth spirits, also know as Seirei, are spirits of the land. They live in a certain place. Got it?"

"Yeah, thanks."

"I think it's a Jibakurei." Bou-san intercepted. "Didn't something happen at this place? A spirit must be here. It must have been scared of losing its home when the workers came."

"What do you think, John?" Naru asked, turning to look at the blond.

"I'm not sure… Aren't haunted houses usually caused by spirits turning ghosts?"

Naru looked back at the nail in his hand nodding. "Spirits are seirei, ghosts are yuurei. Got it, Mai?"

"Yeah."

"If it's a spirit, then that means the earth spirit has some kinda relationship to the land. An' if it lives in a building, it woulda been a ghost that might summon evil spirits or whatnot," John explained. "If it's 'cause of a ghost, then that means the person who died in the house is a Jibakurei."

"You guys don't believe it's a earth spirit?" Miko-san asked as she stood up.

"I think it's a Jibakurei." Bou-san said with a shrug. He stood up and walked towards Jonh's side.

"We still can't agree on a conclusion."

Miko-san threw her hair back as she said, "But we know enough. It only needs to be exorcised. I'll get rid of it tomorrow." She lifted her hands in a exasperated way. "I won't waste time on this insignificant case. I'll go home as soon as this ends." And with that she waved and left the room laughing.

Watching the redhead's depart, Bou-san asked, "What do you guys think?"

Hara replied, "I already said it. There isn't spirits in this place."

"I do agree with Hara-san. This place is just old and full of rumors." Mai said as raises her hand. Bou-san lifted an eyebrow at her but didn't say anything.

The dark, crimson glow of the sunset illuminated the room, making the window whit a pink shine. Mai looked out the windows seeing the darkening of the sky she saw the dance of shadows on the streets. The night was coming, and she really had to get home.

"Naru-chan, it's getting dark."

He lifted his head towards the window.

"Right," He says, rising from his chair. "Let's make some final preparations, and we are done."

"Those things go to the classroom on the west side of the second floor, right?"

"Yeah."

"Hey boy, you're not staying here, are you?" Bou-san asked.

"Not today, but we might stay tomorrow."

"So I have to bring supplements?" Mai asked.

"If you must."

* * *

"Ahhh…" Nanashi yawned. "Today was an interesting day… Don't you agree?" She turns to her companion, who sat beside her.

They were watching the sunset, sitting at the rooftop of the main building of the school. Her hair was shining with al the shades of of the sunlight. His white kimono and her white sundress reflecting all those beautiful colors of the sunset.

"I must agree with you, milady." He chuckles amusedly.

"Ahhh," She frowns at him. "Stop with this milady shit. It's, like, totally unnecessary! I mean it!"

He tilts his head at her and shakes his head amusedly at her.

"But you've never given me your name, milady."

She blushes embarrassed and pouts at him. She looks away and murmurs her chosen name of this life of hers.

"Nana…"

He decides to play with her, he was curious about how she would react to such infantile plays.

"What was it? I couldn't hear it, milady."

She turns to him with wide blue eyes, red face and pouting mouth.

"Stop being such a bastard! You-you did heard it! You're, like, totally not incapable to not hear some whispered words."

"Ah, but I still am only a lowly being. It must be already weak powers having a lapse. Could you please repeat it, milady?" She couldn't see, but he definitely was smiling.

She looks down at her hans and closes her eyes in anger and embarrassment. Her face getting redder and redder. Through gritted teeth she says.

"Nana…"

"How was it?"

She turns to him takes a deep breath before she growls out.

"I'm Nana, dammit!"

He laughs at her, again.

"Mo! It's not fair, dude! You're, like, totally mean!" She crosses her arms and looks away from him.

"Ah, milady. Forgive me. I didn't do it with bad intentions. It was pure playfulness that possessed me." She looks at him by the corner of her eyes and smiles warmly.

"…I know."

They turn back to watching the sunset.

Nanashi yawns again and stretches her arms. "It's getting late and I need to start making dinner." She says as she stood up and the shiki follows swiftly.

"And I guess that I shall give a report to my Master."

She looks curiously at him.

"Are you telling him about me?"

"No. You are no threat to the school. He only asked for the protection of his ward and the vigil of the school."

She chuckles at his response.

"Besides," she looks up when she hears him continue. "I wish to keep your existence only for me at this moment."

She stares at him with understanding eyes.

"I guess you can feel it too…" She whispers as she looks down at her feet. Her hands were crossed gingerly at her waist.

"Yes milady. We've met before, didn't we?"

She closes her eyes and then looks up at him with a smile as her answer. She sees through the eyeholes of his mask as his glowing red eyes curve themselves with a smile.

"Hey," she begins, their eyes not straying from each other. "What is your name?"

"I am not named yet. My Master did not give me one, assuming that I already had one."

"Really?" She asks with wide eyes, lifting her left hand and running her finger through his masks. Painting invisible paths on it. "So what do I shall call you?" Her hand falls back and she crosses it at her waist again.

He lifts his hand and lays it on her mouth.

"I think… That I will let you decide this milady." She looks at him with surprised eyes.

* * *

 **The name of an spirit, of any kind, can either be it's downfall or it's raising to the absolute power.**

* * *

"I'm home, nee-chan!"

"Welcome back, Mai-chan!" Nanashi shouted back. She was just arranging the food on the kitchen counter. "Today we have pastaaa~"

"Eh?!" Shouted Mai, and then she ran to the kitchen stoping just to circle around the table and peeking over the blonde's shoulder to see the marvelous fettuccine with tomato sauce and cheese they were having for dinner. "Waaaa, it's amazing!"

"Draw back a little Mai. I have to put this on the table, and we don't this beauty meeting the floor, right?"

"Yes, Nana!"

They prepared the table, a then they were sitting. They chatted about the day. Mai was complain about the rude psychic people that she'd met. Appraising the Priest John, the exorcist she'd met that just a little bit older than herself. She'd talked about Hara Masako, 'the possessed TV chick' as Nana dubbed the girl.

Most of all, she talked about Naru and his kinda suggestion that he would teach her about human parapsychology. And the mysterious nail that he'd found by the oh so said haunted door.

After dinner, they discussed about Mai's stay at the school on the weekend. The washed the dishes and prepared to bed.

As always, Nana was saying goodnight to her ward. She'd just turned off the light when Mai fell asleep.

It was when Mai closed her eyes that Nana felt it. The faint presence that lingered over ward.

It wasn't abnormal, per se.

After all, the souls of those that were recently dead did this often. Attaching themselves to the alive in hope of bringing justice to their deaths.

And so, she let the boy stick to Mai. As long as he didn't harm her ward, she wouldn't interfere.

* * *

Again, sorry for any silly mistakes. And the not so silly ones too.

This is longest thing I have ever written by will. Seriously, twenty pages or something. But I think that it is going to be like this for the rest of the chapters.

Ok. About the shiki. Everything has a reason, guys. So hold your horses. And romance will not bloom so easily. As the shiki said, Nana could smash him with only her will so she doesn't worry too much about him, maybe it's arrogance of her part, but she is powerful. She is VERY powerful. But do not fret. This part of the story is a bit on the emotional side of things, so her power will not appear very much, at last in the beginning. Later we will see some interesting things, and maybe even some flashy battles. It will be awesome.

And there is two Easter Eggs for you guys to find in this chapter! Easter gifts for you! ^.~

Let's see how many of you can find it and tell what they are. They are of the Naruto side of this crossover. Let the hunt begin!

( _On the side note, how many of have read/watched Ghost Hunt? Sometimes I read crossovers with fandoms that I didn't even know about._ )

 **IMPORTANT!**

 **What do you think that should be the shiki's name?**

 **It has to have a meaning related to him in someway. I thought of one, but it** **'s so cliché and without one drop of imagination that it makes me want to cry.**

I'm doing my tests right now, so I think that it will take another two weeks to write and post the next chapter. Right now I have the scratches of it. But everything will work itself out.

See you soon!

~MariDark


	4. First Truth IV

the Way

Naruto and Ghost Hunt does not belong, in any possible way, to myself.

 _Many sentences in this story were taken and/or inspired from the mangá, anime or the Light Novel/script that I have found on the internet._

 _Thanks to Baka-Tsuki for the script. Couldn't do this without the help of your hard work._

 **In the previous chapter, Naru spoke those following words to Ayako and Houshou, "If you already know that, you can search for the rest.** _ **Google it for all I care."**_

 **Disregard the Google commentary. It was a mistake of my part.**

 **This fanfiction occurs in the year of 1997, and as such, there wasn't Google to search information into.**

 ** _This chapter contains some suggestive themes. Not much, it's just a little bit on the mature side. You were warned. But it is only a light scene. Very much light scene. I don't do lemons._**

First Truth - Chapter Four

"Mai, stop trying to convince me. You're not sleeping there." Nanashi says as she drinks the heavenly green tea Mai had just made for them.

Nana had woken up at 7 a.m. on point, starting some yoga stretches that she'd leaned in one of her many many courses. It was easy work to gain some money, or just illusion someone to accept her into the course. She was a kitsune, she wasn't a saint.

After a warm shower, she'd started to make the breakfast. It wouldn't do to Mai go out without some food in her belly. Mai was a growing kit and needed to be cared for.

After putting everything on the table, she entered Mai's room to wake her up. One hour had passed since Nanashi waked up, and Mai was still asleep. Nanashi didn't really get her wards need for constant sleep. Nana herself could go for ages without such a need. She'd done it before.

She stopped before waking her, staring intently at her kit's face. The spirit of the dead boy was much more intertwined to her ward's aura. He didn't latched at her soul yet, so she didn't destroy. But Nanashi had a feeling that she'd have to deal with him sooner than later.

She woke Mai up, telling her to get ready and that the breakfast was already on the table. She smiled at Mai's adorable sleepy face.

Nana walked back to the kitchen, sitting at the table and waiting for her kit.

Mai entered and sat in front of her. They ate silently, Nana washing the dishes afterwards while Mai prepared tea for them. Which leads them to their present discussion.

"What?" Mai looked disheartened at her guardian. "But… Yesterday you said that I could if I it was needed!"

"And now I'm saying that you can't stay there for the night. Simple as that." Nanashi said as she puts her tea cup back on top of the table, holding the cup with both of her hands, letting the the warm of it seep into her hands. She looked up to her ward's shocked face. Mai was looking at her with confusion in her eyes.

"But… Why?" She whispered while shaking her head. "You've never cared about things like that…" She says with a frown marring her face.

Nana just stared at her with a serene face.

Mai looked down at her own cup between her hands. She tightened her hold on it as she asked, "Did something happened?" She gulped before looking up at her guardians blue eyes. "Did _heard_ something?"

Nanashi tilts her head to the left, a soft smile gracing her lips.

"My dear kit, there is something that I wish to righten and to make it happen, I need you to be here tonight." Mai blinks at her guardian's strange response. She slowly nods back in response.

"Please, do tell me if you need help with anything, nee-chan. I'll do everything I can to help you." she says with a slight smile.

Naru closes her eyes as she lifts her tea cup to her lips, taking a sip of the warm liquid.

"Do not worry yourself with such little things, Mai-chan. I'll take care of everything. Go out and enjoy your Saturday. I know that you're enjoying those new developments in your life." Mai blinks at her and chuckles. Her eyes are closed and her cheeks are red and there is a warm feeling in her chest.

* * *

Today, Nanashi walks Mai to her school. It was a beautiful day and her Nana-nee said that she'd enjoy it as well, and as she does that, why don't walk her ward to the school grounds?

They pass the school gates side by side. This new school of hers had many clubs, and some of them had weekend activities. So it wasn't with much fuss that they passed the gates and walked towards the old school building.

Mai couldn't help but admire her guardian. While she was a simple girl with short brown hair and light brown eyes wearing simple yellow shorts and a pink t-shirt and simple sneakers, her guardian was a beautiful woman with long blonde hair tied in a low ponytail. Mai knew that if Bou-san saw her beautiful guardian, he wouldn't call Masaki 'cute'.

Nanashi was wearing short jeans and a long sleeved white shirt, combat boots adorned her feet and her long legs where exposed to the sunlight. Her tan skin was a high contrast with her bright blue eyes that were hidden by those funny round sunglasses of hers. _When I grow up, I want to be just like nee-chan!_

The cherry blossoms were still blooming and it was a beautiful walk till the van parked in front of the building.

"Maa, this is my stop, Mai-chan." Mai blinked with surprise at her guardian as they stop in front of the van.

"Eh? Don't you want to meet with Naru-chan and the others?"

Nana smiles at her, amused by her ward's surprise. "No, not yet. I have some things that I have to do today. Don't you worry."

Mai sighs dramatically eliciting a amused laugh from her guardian. "Well, it can't be helped…" She looks back to the building with a puzzling look before looking back to her guardian. "Hey, Nana-nee…"

Nanashi looks at her with a tilt of her head and a raised eyebrow. A sign to continue.

"This building…" Nana blink and looks up to the building, her eyebrow still raised. "Can you sense anything strange in it?" Nanashi immediately looks back at her ward with a flat look that says enough of her opinion on the building. Mai raises her hands in defense. "I mean! It's just that, there is a girl that insists there is spirits in this place! That, that lying girl that I told you about."

Nana sighs at her ward. "Mai-chan, you don't need me to tell you about the untruth behind this girl's words…" She looks back to her ward who is still staring expectantly at her. She sighs again. "I'll just say to you that you should be careful with this rotting place. It is a old building that is falling on itself. So you should be careful." She looks back to the building with a blank look on her face. "The rest… Well, the rest is just human foolishness. And a worthless tantrum."

Mai blink at her guardian. _Tan…trum?_

"Well!" Mai jumps at Nana's sudden change of tune. "I'll be leaving then, I'll call ya later. Don't go and stay out until late okay?" She quickly embraces Mai and kisses her forehead. "Bye bye!" And with that, Nanashi was gone.

* * *

Oliver Davis, also know as Shibuya Kazuya, also know as Naru-chan, was just heading back to the old building after talking with some of the school teachers about the said was reading his notes about the building and comparing them to the new data he had just gotten from the professors when he saw her.

At first, he'd just seen by the corner of his eyes a flash of yellow passing by his left side. It was bright yellow hair, a blonde was walking past him, coming from the direction of the old building. She was walking appositive to him by his left side, probably heading out of the school. The old school building was the first building of the school when you entered it, and the last building when you're heading.

He didn't know what caught his attention. It could be her unnatural beauty, but he didn't care about those kind of things anyway.

But he looked up from his notes and his dark blue eyes met the most brilliant pair of eyes that he'd ever seen. As a scientist, he couldn't help but notice the inhuman appearance that she possessed.

She was looking at him with a impassive face, her eyes hidden by weird round sunglasses, but the strange thing was that the shades couldn't do nothing to withhold the sheer _blueness_ that was her eyes.

And as their eyes connected, the world seemed to slow down. Suddenly he felt too heavy, like there was a enormous pressure upon him, it was difficult to breath and his eyes burned and he couldn't breath and _ohmygodhewasinpanicwhatisthiswhatwashappening!_

And then she nodded to him, looked away and walked out. As she moves away from him ( _She was heading out of the school._ He notes), he could breath again.

* * *

When Mai arrived at the lab room they'd taken as a base, she encounters the room empty of Naru.

But it wasn't empty of humans. Kuroda was there and she was turned towards the equipment. Mai immediately felt her face getting warm with her annoyance. _This girl is annoying the fuck out of me…_ Mai did have a dirty mouth in her head. Her guardian didn't really care to keep her mouth clean.

"Kuroda-san… May I ask what are you doing in here? You can not enter this place without Naru-chan's presence. Or at least one of the psychics. Or me I guess…" Mai tried to sound professional and stern like Nanashi. She didn't do much well.

"Ah, Taniyama-san. I'm sorry. I was just looking for Shibuya-san." She says with a little weird smile on her face. "But as you can see, he's not here." Mai forces a smile of her own as she watches the girl touch the equipment besides her.

"You better haven't touched any equipment in here. Naru-chan wouldn't like it." She tries to appeal to girl's apparent fascination with Naru. But the girl just looks down at her hand, still touching the TV's edge.

"Really?" She says airily. "Could you tell me how the things went yesterday?"

Mai shrugs at her. "Naru-chan said that nothing unusual occurred. But Miko-san was locked inside a room. But they didn't decided if it was ghost."

Kuroda gazed sharply at her, looking directly at Mai's eyes.

"Why?" Mai raises an eyebrow at her question and closed the door behind her. She walked to Naru's desk and sat on the table, the same place she'd sat at the previous day.

"A medium came and told us that there wasn't any spirit in the building." Mai lifted her hands in 'what can I do' way and closed her eyes. "But Miko-san insisted that there was a earth spirit in here."

"And who was this medium?" Kuroda narrowed her eyes.

Mai stared at her and put her hands neatly on her lap. "Hara Masako-san."

A grimace appeared on Kuroda's face. "This is person is an impostor." A ugly smirk appeared on her face as looked down to the TV she was griping, her fingers curling on it's edges. "She's so famous just because of her good looks. She doesn't have psychic powers. If she had, she would know that there was a ghost here. A powerful one." Mai leans back on the table as she stares at the other girl. She sees as she changes her body language to a more demure behavior. "I was… I was attacked by it."

"Really…" Mai leans forward slightly at the girls affirmation. She knows it is a lie, but she will hear it.

"Yes…" She looked up to Mai and said, a scared look on her face. "I was walking in one of the corridors when something pulled my hair…" She looks down with a pained grimace. "I tried to run but it grabbed my neck and said…" She looks up at Mai with a serious look in her eyes. "It said, 'Your power is too strong. You are interfering.'"

Silence permeated the air as the two of them gazed at each other. Mai's face was neutral, nothing in it betraying her emotions and opinions about the other girl's confession.

 _What a lying bitch._ Mai closed her eyes as Nana's words echoed in her head. _**An worthless tantrum…**_

…

Naru appeared not much after, he was a little pale, but Mai disregarded it and watched as Kuroda, again, explained what happened to her. Naru looked impassive as the girl explained. He sat at his chair, by Mai's side as she scooted away so that he could turn on the computer and see the recordings.

It turned out that when Kuroda was walking in one of the corridors, static began to appear as she went up the stairs and then the screen turned black.

"Naru-chan, none of the equipment are broken." Mai looked confused at the screen.

"I know… What does this mean?" He mumbled to himself.

"Hara-san said that this building didn't have spirits…" Mai spoke she then looked down to Naru and said quietly to herself, "And she's right. What could this mean?…"

Naru tenses slightly at her comment, but relaxes quickly so that she doesn't notice that he'd heard her.

He adds, "And I think that she didn't lie."

Kuroda looks puzzled as she asks, "Does she really have psychic powers?"

And then Naru goes and speaks something about how women had different wavelengths and that Kuroda's could be the same as the ghost. Mai is not impressed.

…

They heard the commotion that came from the entrance hall, the voices of the psychics, the principal and some school personnel echoing throughout the building.

Mai, Naru and Kuroda enter the entrance hall to see the noisy group arranging some kind of pedestal while Miko-san, dressed with miko garments, commanders them. They stop besides Bou-san who is watching the preparations.

All of them have greats doubts about the exorcism. They are curious of course, but weren't sure about the ritual's efficiency. Mai thought that it was mainly because the miko was the one performing the ritual.

The miko stood before the white altar and started to chant some kind of ritual, waving some kind of stick with slip of papers attached to it.

 _I_ _invite you to cautiously come down onto the earth, white light enshrining the spiri_ _t._

 _Please cleanse this ground, I sincerely implore yo_ _u._

 _I invite you to come down from the Heavens and gather around at the shrine._

 _I entreat you to approach this ground and protect it._

Mai didn't really understand what the redheaded was doing, but she keeps her mouth shut. She doesn't want to humiliate herself again as she ask about it. She could search for it lat-

"She's chanting a Shinto prayer called Noriko, amateur."

She looks up and meet Naru's eyes. His eyes shine with slight humor, but his words are for her and she is grateful. So she nods with a smile and turns her eyes back at the miko.

Her smiles falls as she thinks about the things she should warn he about. "Naru-chan…" He looks down at her waits for her to continue. Mai throws a glance at Kuroda, who was just staring disdainfully at the miko. "She's lying." He raises a eyebrow and turns his eyes to the direction she was looking at, finding Kuroda. He looks back at Mai. "I don't know what was happening in that recording, but it wasn't a ghost." She looks up and meets his eyes determinately.

He looks impassive and his eyes don't reveal nothing. But he purses his lips and nods sharply, looking back at the miko. She follows him and lets the matter be. She'd done her part.

* * *

After getting out of the school, Nanashi waited until she was alone on the streets and jumped on the rooftop of a nearby house. She concealed her presence to the human kind and rans towards where she could feel the presence of the shiki she'd met.

She was hoping to meet him at the school today, but she'd sensed that he wasn't there. In his place, there was another presence that had the same scent on it as on her shiki. She'd guessed that the scent must belong to their master.

When she was walking out she'd seen the boy that the other shiki was following around. This time, it had a simpler mind than the shiki she'd met before. It had the appearance of a cat and followed the boy who had the soul that was so much similar to Mai's dead boy leach.

 _A strange, handsome, gloomy and dark boy…_ She thought as she saw him. His face was buried in some notebook, which was black as well. _All things you own must be black, boy?_

She looked down at the shikigami that was following him around, and it lifted it's masked head to look at her. She could see as it stopped walking just as she crossing the boy. It started to gather it's tiny power to attack her. _It's so pitiful that you can not even recognize that it is a lost battle._ Naru knew that it couldn't feel her power. She had it under tight control.

She looked up to meet the boys eyes. The boy who was toying with Mai's life. She knew that their meet was Destiny, but she didn't like it. That boy was going to toy with her Mai, and he would hurt her and he _didn'tevenprovedhimself_ **.**

She'd let her power permeate the air. Let it _push_ the boy _down_. The shiki fell into a trembling mess at his feet, but he couldn't see it and she didn't worried about it. He was focused on her and she could see him losing his breath and as she looked and listened to his soul, she _understood_.

She understood why everything that she feared that it would hurt Mai had to happen. She now knew that her little Mai needed him as much as he needed her. And that the pain they were to go through was needed so they could grow.

So she nodded at him, silently acknowledging him, and tightened her control over her power. She left and leaved behind a clueless boy and a unconscious shikigami.

The being would stay that way for the rest of the day, and at night go running back to it's master, desperate because it couldn't understand her presence.

She then ran a top the rooftops, going straight to the location of the shiki that she was starting to think as _hers_. She stopped in front of a hospital.

The place was full of ghosts and spirits. Even some beings that gorged upon both live and dead beings. She ignored them to focus on the presence of her shiki. She could sense the vague chain that linked him to a living human in the building. The human had three chains completely formed, and a recently and still weak chain that secured the shiki she'd befriended.

She allows her presence to flutter for a single moment, mimicking the intensity of a lesser being. She knows that he will recognize her.

Soon enough he is standing at her side, looking down to the hospital with her.

"Nice sunglasses, milady."

"I know." She smiles slightly at his comment. He turns and looks at her face. His mask gleaming with the sunlight.

He tilts his head to the side, a movement she notices that he does a lot, and asks with a curious voice. "What are you doing here milady?"

She blink at him and then looks up to the sky. She gazes at the endless blue for a long minute, her round sunglasses reflecting the immensity of the sky.

"I think that it is time that I have a little talk with your master."

* * *

The exorcising doesn't work.

When it was done, Miko-san was going out of the building with the principal and the other school staff that accompanied them, and the door's glass exploded. It was quite the ruckus.

After calming themselves, the principal leaves them to end their work and they go back to the base where they descend into chaos, discussing and accusing. At least on Miko-san, Kuroda, Bou-san and Hara-san's behalf.

Mai and Naru quietly discuss with John about what happened.

It was when Mai looked to their various TVs, each showing what was happening in different rooms, that she saw something that should make everyone focus agin.

"Naru-chan…"

"Yes Mai?"

"That room there. There is a chair in the middle of it now. There wasn't one before."

Naru raised a eyebrow at the screen she was pointing.

"Did anyone go in there?" He asks as he turns to the others.

They look at each other with puzzled faces before denying.

…

They turn back he recording to discover that the chair moved almost half of a meter at the same time as the accident on the entrance hall.

"Could it be a poltergeist?" Kuroda suggests.

"That is the ghost that makes objects move and produces sound, right?" Mai asks tilting her head to the side.

"Yes." Kuroda answers with a grimace. _Sorry but not sorry that I annoy you._

"I don't think that it could be a poltergeist. The chair's temperature didn't raise." Naru said while staring intently at the computer's screen.

Mai snaps her fingers in remembrance. "I read somewhere that objects moved by poltergeists are usually warm."

John then adds, "But according to Tisane's classification, we could categorize this as a poltergeist."

"What's that?"

"Fake-miko and fake-psychic." Masako says coldly.

The redhead opens her mouth to respond but Naru interrupts her.

"Emile Tisane, a French officer, classified poltergeists." He says with a pensive look on his face. "There are nine categories in total. Explosions, opening and closing of doors, noises, knocking... Out of the nine conditions, three occurred here: a door closing by itself, a moving object, and a shattered window. That isn't enough to qualify this as a poltergeist haunting."

And then Kuroda adds, "So the thing that attacked me was?"

Mai and Naru shares a annoyed look at the girls words, in the background Kuroda tells her story to avid listeners.

…

"What do think about this Masako-san?" Asks Bou-san.

"She's delusional." She says quietly.

"That's harsh."

"It's the truth."

"No! It is not!" Kuroda glares at the doll-like girl. "Just admit it! There _is_ an evil spirit in this building!"

Masako glares at her and abruptly stood up.

"Are you going to run away?"

"I'm just going to have a second look at this place. But I'm telling you this now." She walks towards the door and opens it, she steps out and turns to look at us. "There are no ghosts in this school building." And with that, she closes the door and goes away.

"She could have just said that the little fake here was wrong." Miko-san adds.

Kuroda glares darkly at her but keeps quiet with her arms crossed in front of her.

"She seemed quite disturbed…" John comment as he gazes at the door Masako'd just passed through.

"Of cour-"

"Of course!" Mai interrupts Naru. "Psychics can see things that normal people can't!" She nods with certainly.

Naru blinks surprised at her interruption but quickly continues. "Of course. And her reputation is in game here, she needs to be certain."

Kuroda snorted at him. "You just go for pretty faces."

Naru looks at her with cold eyes. "And why would you say that?"

"You're covering for her, aren't you?"

"I'm just giving her the respect she deserves."

"Really?"

"Really." It was Mai that answered and the two girls stared at each other. Kuroda looked at her with surprise and Mai looked at her with steel in her brown eyes.

Miko-san giggled and the effect was over, Kuroda blinked and looked away while Mai calmly looked at the giggling miko.

"You should treat us with more respect then." The redhead says.

"I would if Matsuzaki-san abilities weren't so mediocre." He replies coldly.

Bou-san laughed. "That can't be helped. She couldn't even exorcise her 'earth spirit'! And she still screams for help when a door lock behind her!"

"I didn't scream!"

"So who was it that was howling like a dog inside that classroom that _you_ were looked into?"

Mai exchanges a glance with Naru. Their connecting and similar thoughts passed through their minds.

 _If Matsuzaki is a dog, than Takigawa is a monkey. And they are the Idiotic Duo._

And then there was a loud crack that echoed throughout the building.

They stopped talking and listened attentively.

There was a loud noise coming from the west wing followed by a piercing cry.

"Hara-san fell from the second floor!" Shouted John as he pointed to a TV screen.

Mai could not help but think about her guardian's warning.

* * *

Lin Koujo was a bitter man.

He hated Japan and it's people. So you see, he didn't want to go to a Japanese hospital to check his injury. Said injury was caused by a Japanese girl. And said injury made him incapable of taking care of his charge, and so he had to send his shiki to take watch over him.

So now he was at a white hospital room, waiting to know how much more time he had to stay at the dammed Japanese hospital.

As he looked out the window he heard his room's door open and close.

"Finally. When can I get out of this place?"

"I'm afraid that I can not answer this question for you, Lin Koujo."

He freezes as the alluring voices falls over him. He slowly turns until his eyes meet the most beautiful woman that Lin has ever seen. Her hair is a shining and cheerful shade of yellow, her skin reminds him of summer and as she takes the round sunglasses from her face he sees the most beautiful pair of eyes that he has ever seen.

The woman just made him more tense and wary.

She walks slowly towards him, her hips swinging slightly and it's a seductive thing that comes as easily as breathing to her.

He can't take his eyes of her hands when she puts them on his bed. She slowly circles his bed until she is right by his side and the light that comes from the window at her back forms a halo around her that he can see when he looks up at her as she leans on him.

"Those shiki of yours better not harm my kit. I mean it."

It is difficult to answer and to think when she is so close to him. "Your… kit?"

She nods slowly, her eyes traveling through his face, as if fascinated with him. She hums in response and he can feel his blood rush down.

She was a dangerous being.

"What…Who are…you?" His voice is rough and inquisitive and he feels too much open to her.

"I'm Nanashi. And I'm something that you humans often forget."

He gulps because he is afraid, and his arm is incapacitated and he couldn't fight her. Not when she was so close and _whatwashappeningtohim?!_

"Do not worry Lin-san. Nothing shall happen to your ward. As long as he doesn't harm what is mine, he will not be touched and will be under my protection until your recovery. I mean it."

And with those words, Lin snaps himself back because she was talking about _his_ ward. His _friend_. And no woman will stop him of protecting Oliver when he'd already lost his other half.

"What do you want, spirit? Be careful with your words." He narrows his eyes at her and let lose a wave of his power so that she can feel the threat behind his words.

But the damn woman _laughs at him_.

"You are so amusing, little human."

"Do not think so little of me, _spirit._ "

She narrows her eyes at him and suddenly she is straddling him. Each of her legs at his side and her arms at both sides of his head. She presses her body closely against him making him lean back on the headboard. He can feel every part of her body flush against his own and he is sure that she can feel his own bodily reaction. Though she doesn't seem fazed.

He looks down to see her breasts smashed against his chest and he can hardly think and then he looks up and feels fear.

Because her face isn't as human as before.

Actually, it was even more beautiful than before. With a glow to it that could only be described by _divine._

But her eyes are glowing with chaotic thoughts and she is growling at him, showing sharp teeth and there are orange markings on her eyelids. There are feral whiskers marks adorning her cheeks and her eyes were a strange thing. Changing to feline slits into amphibian slits and merging themselves at some points. Her voice is a guttural and primitive thing that arouses and scares him.

She leans enticingly on him and breaths over his lips as she whispers, "Do not underestimate me, mortal." She trails her lips over his cheek and down to his right ear. "Be certain that if any harm comes to my kit, my Mai, you will find out just how much ignorant you are about the supernatural, _onmyoji._ "

Then she drops herself on his lap, bite his ear and jumps away.

"Do not flatter yourself into thinking that I have shame on doing something like this or that you make me want you. I'm not some pansy human. And it's in my nature to act like this." She looks out the open window, her blonde hair moving gently with the spring breeze.

"Besides, you are too bitter for my taste."

And she disappears.

* * *

Hehehe…

As you can clearly see here, two weeks did not pass and I've written and posted another chapter in a day. I just got so much inspired! And there was such a good response to the chapter! xD

I'm sure all of noticed that my writing style has changed a little bit in this chapter. It was because of an amazing review who warned me that my writhing was too similar to the light novels. And **Ahegao** -san was right. It was rather boring. So I followed **Ahegao** -san's advice and changed it up a little bit. Is it good? Please do tell me, you can review or PM me your opinions. I will read them. Just don't expect me to always comply to your wishes. This story does have a plot line and it is very much planned, so I can not always please all of you.

And calm down guys! **Nana will meet the team**. As you can see in this chapter, she is taking small steps.

I think I made Masako too much rude. ^.^'

Regarding **Lin's scene** , I'm blushing as much as Hinata Hyuuga now. But it was a necessary thing. Nana is a _kitsune_ and was once a kunoichi. She does know seduction very well, Sexy no Jutsu rings any bells? Expect more of that in the future. Should I put the rating up to Mature?

 **And I am not writing lemons**. Not my thing.

About **Naru's confusing POV** , let's just say that this secret will get out of the box rather early. At least to some people. His POV and Lin's reference to Naru's name and his 'other half' will be revealed in one or two chapters. I made this way for a reason, and it was intended to be confusing. Everything will fall in it's place at the right time, guys. Be patient!

And thank you **Alpha Stigma55** for your suggestion. It made my day. Really. "Call him Freddie." Really, you're awesome. (Sorry but this ain't happening. But it would be hilarious.)

 **Ahegao** -san suggested Haku. It was a good one too.

And someone asked if the shiki was Neji. It was **SweatDreamLala**. Well, dearie. We will just have to find out.

And another question. **What do you guys think about my Fem!Naru?** You can either put her down as a bitch or raise her as a goddess. Or just, I don't know, meh.

Nobody saw the little **easter eggs** in the the third chapter? That's a shame. I tried to go at it like the Games of Thrones screenwriters and hide spoilers inside the story. And I'm not good at this too.

See you soon!

~MariDark


	5. First Truth V

the Way

Naruto and Ghost Hunt does not belong, in any possible way, to myself.

 _Many sentences in this story were taken and/or inspired from the mangá, anime or the script that I have found on the internet._

 _Thanks to Baka-Tsuki for the script. Couldn't do this without the help of your hard work._

First Truth - Chapter Five

Nanashi didn't know what to feel about the bitter man.

It wasn't like she was attracted to him. He was a mortal and could not understand the world that was hidden from his eyes. The world that Nana believed that only she knew about it on this planet.

Of course, if she were to love such things wouldn't stop the blonde kitsune. She would fight for them if it'd be so. But she didn't loved him and neither would she love him.

She could see his feeling for the cheerful woman in his memories.

Nana didn't felt guilty for invading the man's mind and soul. She was even polite enough to see him in person to break into his memories. She could have done it without his physical presence. So really, the mortal should be grateful.

The man had power for a simple human, but he wasn't that much powerful. His shiki were all passed down to him from his family, and he captured the shiki with crow's mask with pure luck and childish stubbornness. Lin Koujo was strictly limited in Onmyodo arts, even if his clan was a prestigious one that had its roots profoundly woven with the ancient magiks.

Nanashi had seen the rise of great onmyojis. She had fought with humans that could bend their should at will, just cast a single spell. Men who tried to tame and chain the great golden fox that traveled through the lands and skies.

She saw the rise of the Chinese noble clan named Lin. Many years ago she met a boy who said that he would have her was his shiki, and would be granted with great power and immortality for his deeds. She taunted him for years, and they fought many times until the boy turned into a man. And the man didn't want her as his shiki anymore, he wanted her as his wife.

He loved her.

And she believed him, but she knew that her care for the boy wasn't enough for him. She could never really love him.

She told him so, and he understood. But he asked of her only one thing.

He asked her to be his first in bed. He wanted to show his love for her freely, at least one time. She said yes.

Afterwards, the man married and had many children, he loved and lived. And he brought forth the great Lin clan. A clan specialized in the arts of the Japanese Onmyodou, the magic front of what was now know as the Great Empire of China.

And now, Nanashi couldn't help but feel as if she'd failed the human who fell in love with an youkai.

Because the Lin clan was a clan that initially had as it's first and most important lesson the valor of life and friendship. A clan that she'd helped to create, that was once home to various lost spirits. A clan that once formed bonds in between worlds and races was now a fallen place where only power mattered. A place where they didn't regarded a spirit's freedom and mind.

They had become something she despised with all her being.

* * *

Mai didn't like ambulances.

She didn't really like anything related to hospitals. She remembered the frigid cold that she felt when her Nana-nee had taken her to one small hospital soon after the Accident. She didn't like what she saw there.

So when the ambulances came to get Masako to the hospital, Mai stays away and watch from a distance.

When the ambulances goes away, it's already sunset and the school grounds were bathed in it's orange glow. Soon, Mai and the others go back to the base to discuss the accident.

When they watch the recordings, it was seen that Masako had only leaned a wooden plank that was substituting one of the walls on the west side of a classroom. It was worn down by the the weather and when she leaned on it, the plank cracked and broke. Sending Masako on a three meters fall.

"She said it was only her carelessness. Her fall wasn't fault to any spirit." Naru explained.

"She is just being stubborn." Grunted Kuroda.

"Look," Ayako said as she sat on one of the chairs, her legs crossed and a serious look in her eyes. "I admit it. My exorcisms failed, but it only makes this places more dangerous."

Mai raised a eyebrow at her. "Dangerous?"

"Yes." She looked down at her feet. "There is a ghost here. And I failed in exorcising it. It will act like an injured bear. It'll be angry."

"So Hara-san was injure because of it…"

"Don't jump to conclusion so brashly, Kuroda-san." Mai says sternly.

"Mai is right." Naru says. "The recording showed us that it was a accident, as Hara-san said."

"Still…" Naru turns to her, and as Mai sees that she has his attention, she continues. "This place is very much strange." They all look curious at her. Naru nods.

"Mai is right." He turns, looking out of the window. "There has been no response to the equipment. No temperatures declines, no ion deviations… even electromagnetic abnormalities! All data seems normal."

"Then…" Kuroda stepped forward with questioning eyes. "Why did all those things happened? Why I was attacked? Why did Miko-san got locked up? And the windows and the chair?"

Naru looked sharply at them, his eyes shadowed by his hair. "And _that_ is why I don't understand."

And then, they discussed whether the spirit as a Jibakurei or a tsukumogami. Miko-san said that sometimes inanimate objects would get possessed by a ghost. For instance, a table, a chair, or even a house. Those inanimate objects absorbed human emotions in its environment and then became possessed, becoming a tsukumogami.

But she still insisted thither was a earth spirit. Even if it was her that suggested the tsukumogami idea.

John decided to make a exorcism and Naru got back to the van, to 'investigate from another angle'. And Mai was ordered to stay and watch the cameras, leaving her alone with Kuroda, the Monk and the Priestess.

As Naru left the room, Bou-san asked, " What's up with that kid?" Mai looked up from the monitors she was looking to. "I mean, he brings lots of expensive equipment, but really, does he knows what the hell he is doing?"

Kuroda snorted at him, "At least, he seems to be much better than any of you."

"And what are you still doing in here? Don't you have a home to return?" Bou-san frowned at her.

"I want to see your failure before going home." She chuckled. "And what are you two doing standing still? It would be useful if you could actually exorcise something."

* * *

His Master was panicking.

The shiki tilted his head to the right as he floated outside his Master's window. He could certainly say that he was slightly jealous of his Master. He would quite enjoy to have the beautiful youkai bitting and grinding on him. But he could see that she was quite disinterested, and besides, if she attacked he would defend his Master, and defending Lin from her would be his certain death.

And so, he was satisfied with her seduction technique.

He gazed at his Master's confused and desperate face and decided that it would be best to him to approach the human.

He quickly entered the man's room and approached his bedside.

"Master." He called.

Lin looked up surprised and frowned at him.

"You…" Lin grind his teeth at his shiki sight. "You knew about her existence, didn't you?!" He gripped his bed sheet in anger.

The shiki tilted his head and nodded slowly. "I did."

The human glared heatedly at the spirit. He took a deep breath and hissed, "And a being like that in the school grounds, and that said being was involved with the same student who entered the building when we arrived at the old school building wasn't important enough for you? You thought that you should only ignore her, and do not report it to me?!"

The shiki shrugged. "She wouldn't cause any harm to the school."

"But she could be involved in the case! Worst than that, she could harm _Oliver_!" Lin brought his fisted hands down on the bad.

He tsked in response to his master's tantrum. "Master, you don't actually think that a spirit of her level would get involve in such petty things, do you?" The human glared at him, he sighed at his Master's brash behavior. "She is daiyoukai."

Lin's breath stopped. _A Great Youkai…here?!_

The shiki continued, "At least, a daiyoukai. She could very well be at an greater level than that." The human turned away from his shiki, and looked down at his fists. "With an allure like hers, she could be many things. Some worst than others."

"How could it be…" Lin's hands were shaking with shock. "An daiyoukai… These things still exist?"

The shiki tilted his head, noticing that his Master must not have heard his others thoughts. It wouldn't be strange. Human did have some quite strange selective hearing when they wanted.

He looked out of the window, staring out to the horizon. The sunset's light reflecting on his mask, and his dark hair flying gently with the breeze that entered through the window.

And as he felt the wind's gentle fingers running through his hair, he couldn't stop himself from thinking how would it be to have Nana's finger running down his hair as he basked in the beautiful feeling that freedom should be.

 _And what would be of me, should this chain of mine break…_

* * *

 _"Heavenly God, please allow us to worship you._ _"_

Ayako was gone to take a walk, leaving Mai and Kuroda watching John as he stood in the middle of the room Masako had fallen of. It was already dark outside, making the room even more creepy. Am and Kuroda watched through the TVs as John scattered holy water inside the room. His priest robes making everything look like an horror movie. The Monk was dressed in his monk garbs and walking through the corridors, holding something in his hand and looking around.

 _"God, your soul becomes our heaven and the earth."_ _  
_ _"_ _In the beginning was the word. The word was with God. The word was Go_ _d…"_

 _"The word was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made_ _-"_

They tensed when John suddenly stopped praying and looked up at the ceiling. Mai turned up the speakers' volume to hear a snapping sound. Kuroda whispered, "That must be the poltergeist…"

 _"In Him was life, and that life was the light of men,_ _"_

Suddenly, Mai understood what was about to happen when she looked up to the TVs. She quickly got up from her chair when she saw what was about to happen. She ran out of the room, ignoring Kuroda's cries.

 _"The light shone in the darkness._ _"_

She ran down the corridor where Takigawa was walking, she turned sharply ignoring his questions and headed straight to the room John was in. _The ceiling…_

" _But the darkness could not comprehend the light..."_

She pushed the door open and shouted.

"John! The ceiling!" He looked up at her as she quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him out.

"Eh?" He blinked surprised.

"The ceiling is-" Not a second later, and it came crashing down on room. The dust puffing out of the door and on them. They covered their faces and when the noise stopped they looked up. Mai sighed at darkness that permeated the room.

"The ceiling, John." She stared sadly at him. "The ceiling was bending."

…

"If Mai-san hadn't pulled me out, I would've be in serious problems…"

They were reunited around the room's doors. Naru picked up a piece of rubble, staring inquisitively at it. He eyes were dazed with questions and worries. In the background, Takigawa and Ayako were arguing about the place.

"I'm not scared so easily, okay?!" She huffed indignantly. "I just appreciate being alive, and I'm not risking dying." She turned away from Takigawa. "So I'm heading out and continuing tomorrow."

Takigawa was opening his mouth to respond when Naru cut him out. "She's right."

The monk turned to him, "Don't tell me that you are scared too, Naru-chan?!"

"Mock me however you want," He turned cold eyes to us. "This time she is right indeed." He turned his eyes to Mai, his eyes softening slightly at the dust on her cheeks and hair. "You all should go home. Mai and John could be seriously hurt because of this, so I guess that we should quit for today."

Mai stepped forward towards Naru, "Are you sure about it?"

He looked at her and nodded. "Yes, and the headmaster told me that your guardian didn't allow you stay at night in the school. So I guess you should go anyways." Mai looked up at him surprised. _Nana-nee called…?_

"Well! I'm not a girl and I'm not a kid like Taniyama-chan, Kuroda-san and Naru-chan… So I guess I can stay, what do you say John?" The monk ignored Naru's cold look and grinned at John.

"I… I guess we should go home…" John said with a sheepish smile.

Takigawa tsked, "How obedient…" He looked away from them with a sneer. "I guess we should just call it a day." Mai raised an eyebrow at him. _Not so brave when everyone quits, are you?_

She looked back at Naru, her eyes shining with worry. "And you, Naru-chan? The equipment…"

"I can handle it. Do not worry."

She sighed at him and said, "Really, you call me to help you as an assistant and then says that you can handle the work alone…"

They left feeling Naru's gaze at their backs.

…

Apparently, Mai and John were heading to the same direction. And as they walked down the street to the nearest metro station, they met Mai's guardian. And John was really confused.

* * *

Nana looked down at her kit, who was walking besides a blond male. She tilted her head and smiled amusedly at the duo. They both radiated a saturated air of innocence, with the pureness of both their souls blending and getting to know each others. _Those two will have quite the friendship…_

Nana quickly jumped down into an alleyway a couple of meters in front of them and walked out of it. She pulled down her power, allowing the humans around her to notice her. Some of them almost immediately latched their attention on her. Blinking in confusion, awe, jealously, and others just passing her without turning their heads.

She waited until the pair was within her eyesight before lifting her left hand and waving at them. Her other hand rising to her mouth as she cries at them, "Mai-chan! Mai-chan! Here!"

She waved with great enthusiasm as smiled at them. Her eyes were shining with a mischievous light, and a delighted air surrounded her. Even if she _was_ rather angry and frustrated with her new findings, she wouldn't throw it on top of her ward and her new friend.

The duo looked up and Mai smiled at her, while the boy looked surprised at her with his eyes wide as saucers and red painting his cheeks.

Nana lowered her hands, putting them by her sides. She frowned slightly at their dust covered body. She _did_ know what happened to them, but she also know that the shiki she hat put down had already awakened. That was why the other girl had fallen, there wasn't a shiki to save her, but it had weekend. She made sure of it. It was necessary.

She quickly discarded her unpleasant look and replace it with a happy smile and and shiny eyes when she saw them approaching.

"Nee-chan!" Mai ran to her and they hugged each other, quickly separating to look at each other Mai disentangled from her and pulled John closer to her side. "Nana, this is Brown John-san! He is an exorcist!" The girl then looked at his face, which seemed frozen in a surprised state. She frowned and elbowed him, he blinked and looked at Mai, and she nodded to the blonde woman. The woman smiled softly at him and extended her hand in greeting.

He blinked and blushed, quickly grabbing her hand and shaking it at the same time he bowed to her in greeting. He stuttered out, "Me be John Brown! I mean, I be Brown John! No! I mean…" He looked up distressed at the blonde woman's blue eyes.

She chuckled at his expense, and then smirked at him. And she answered in his own language. " **Nice to meet you, Father John.** "

He looked surprised at her and then smiled softly. " **It's a pleasure to meet you. May I ask your name?** "

She nodded and pulled Mai to her side, the girl eeping in surprise. She hugged the brunette to her chest and said, " **Of course! I'm Mai's guardian! Nana Uchiwa!** "

He nodded at her with a happy smile. **"A pleasure to meet you, ma'am.** "

"Eh? Nee-chan! You know English?"

"Of course I know English. What do you take me for? You? " Nana smiled at her, and then raised an eyebrow. "And what are you doing going home so late at night?"

"Moo Nana! It is barely seven pm!"

"Late enough! And bringing a boy home, no less! And a priest at that!"

They both blushed and immediately denied everything. Nana laughed full out, her eyes tearing up with their behavior.

"Why don't we go and dine a fine food that there is down the street? It could be fun!" She smiled slyly at the, "And you guys could tell me why you are covered in dust, ne?"

They blinked and and with smiles on their faces, they were heading to a small Indian restaurant down the street. Their voices loud and with happy notes.

* * *

Mai let herself fall on her back on top of her bed. She was quite full but everything was worth it.

Her Nana-nee and John-san got along more than fine and they had a great time. The food was awesome, their company as well, and it was a really homey restaurant. And the dancers were so fun and gracious!

She sighed softly in happiness. She had a fairly promiscuous day. With so many accidents and rather tragic moments. But it all ended well enough. She turned on the bed, facing the door when she heard it open. She saw Nana walking towards her.

She smiled at her guardian, who answered in the same way. Sitting on the bed's edge and putting one of her delicate looking hands on top of Mai's soft brown hair. Nana kissed her forehead and smiled softly at her. She got up and turned the light off. Gently, Nana moved Mai a little further on the bed, and laid beside her. She pulled the covers up and embraced her ward. Softly kissing her ward's crown head, she whispered "Go to sleep, dear Mai." Mai nodded with a little smile on her lips. She tucked herself under Nana's chin and hugged her.

Mai sighed happily and let the grogginess of her sleep take over her.

She dreamed of a lake.

* * *

When she felt that the dead boy's soul had awaken and latched on Mai's sleep, she immediately let herself sink into his soul.

She opened her eyes and looked down, meeting her reflection on what seemed to be an small lake surrounded by a forest. She tilted her head at her reflection, seeing that she was in her fox form. Her golden fur emitting its own light, glowing in the darkness of night that surrounded her. Her nine tails moving lazily behind her and her ten orbs of blackness surrounding her and floating chaotically above her.

She looked up to meet the boy's surprised eyes.

 _You really do look like your brother…_

"…Eugene Davis."

* * *

It was pretty late when Lin called him.

Really, Naru wasn't that much surprised with his findings. He stayed at the building for quite some time after midnight. After studying the building structure, with careful calculations and expert opinion, he concluded that the cause for the building's motive for it's unexplained accidents where land subsidence.

The building was built on moist land. The workers had placed fresh soil on this land in an attempt to lessen the moisture before the school was built. Based on the number of wells around the area, there was a big water vein running beneath the school. And now only two wells remain, both of which were dry.

Meaning that the building was weak because it was built on damp soil. Furthermore, the water vein was almost dry. Because of these factors, the building was sinking. Moreover, the building was sinking at an alarming rate. The area that was sinking the fastest were those they saw falling apart earlier.

And the chair moved because of the light inclination of that side of the building.

And that was exactly what he would say for the group on the morning.

And around three in the morning Lin called him, asking for his immediate presence.

"Lin, you're still in the hospital? That can't be. It's just a sprained ankle. You shouldn't be there."

"Look, I did something brash and they made me stay for one more day. But Oliver, you need to come here. Right now."

"Lin, I don't want to travel all the way to where you are just to fight some nurse to make you go away earlier. Deal with the consequences of your mistakes."

"It is not that!"

"Besides, visitor time has ended."

"I talked with the nurse! She allowed it! Oliver, this is much bigger than you think. We shouldn't come near that Mai girl or that school."

"How many times have I said that I don't want to deal with your prejudice against Japan and it's people?"

" **It is not that, Noll!** "

Naru stopped.

It had been a rather long time since he last heard that name. Mai calling him 'Naru' was the closest thing he'd heard.

With a frigid voice, he answered.

"I'm taking a taxi to the hospital. And Lin?"

"I got it. I won't call you by that name again."

…

He entered Lin's room to find him sitting on top of the bed, gazing down at his hands that were on top of his lap.

He walked towards an chair that laid besides the bed. He sat at it and stared the older man's face. He didn't move an inch. Naru looked out of the window instead, looking out at Tokyo's lights.

"My shiki didn't report everything for me."

Naru turned silently to look at the man that looked at him with blank eyes.

"That school… That girl… They belong to a spirit."

Naru raised an eyebrow at him. "The old building-"

"It has nothing to do with the old building."

Naru blinked at the man who was glaring at an empty space by the window with a snarl on his mouth.

"They belong to a spirit." Lin turned worried eyes to the young man sitting by his bedside. "They belong to a youkai."

Naru breath hitched. He looked up at Lin with wide eyes. His pupils shaking with…excitement? He looked down at his shaking hands. What is that he was feeling?

 _An youkai…_

"And now you must be feeling quite happy about that. After all, youkai would be the living proof of the existence of the supernatural. And it is commonly know that they are one of the most difficult to find. And to find one that marks territories could mean that it can cohabitant with other being, as it marked an human being…"

Naru blinked at him and fisted his hands. He lifted them as he spoke, waving them around in excitement. "Of course! It would be the biggest discovery of the century! If we where to take it to the lab-"

"It won't happen."

Naru made his face stay on a masked indifference. His narrowed at the man's response.

"We can't stay there for long Naru." Lin looked somberly at him. "It is a daiyoukai. Possible higher than even that." Naru looked at him in astonishment. "We can't stay for much longer. And that girl… That girl is the daiyoukai's territory." Naru fisted his hands as he clenched his jaw. "Taniyama Mai belongs, with absolutely certainty, to the daiyoukai."

* * *

Oliver had just get out of the room. Lin was looking at his hands and then looked up at the ceiling. Slowly, he laid back on the hospital bed. He turned his head to the window and glared at the spirit standing still by it.

"I am your Master… Is it the Chain?" Lin fisted his hands in anger. "Is it so weak that you can disobey me so easily?"

The shiki tilted his head. "No. I simply didn't disobey you."

Lin glared harder. "You most definitely did."

"I most definitely did not, Master."

"Stop playing with me! I am ordering you! Tell me!"

The shiki tensed at the order but answered. "She won't hurt us. At least, she won't hurt the boy as long as he doesn't harm her ward."

Lin frowned and looked up at the ceiling again. Their contract was quite recent, not having even one year of Contract and Lin was the first member of his clan to make a Contract with a new spirit in decades. The last being his grandfather. It was quite complicated to try and understand the newly made shiki, as he liked to make comments that other shiki wouldn't make. He would joke, and would ask. Always with an controlled voice, never wavering and never raising his tone. He had quite the dry humor as well, not having shame in doing comments that were bother-line explicit and manipulating his other shiki and playing with them as well. He was an interesting one. He was gentle and kind, yet playful and sometimes even cruel in his look about the world.

A wild shiki they called him. And Lin agreed readily.

"What is your name?"

…

The shiki tensed at the question.

In the few months he was Chained to Lin Koujo, the man had never asked for his name. Always calling him 'you and 'shiki'. Even if the Master had more than one shiki, Lin still didn't called him by a name.

The shiki turned his head around, half of his face facing the window. To Lin, the lights of Tokyo formed a halo around his body.

He took a deep breath and remembered.

* * *

 _He lifts his hand and lays it gently on her mouth._

 _"_ _I think…that I will let you decide this, milady."_

 _She looks surprised and is blushing and oh so delightful to look at. Her aura is dancing happily around him, brushing against his own and he is holding back a moan. Because he_ _'d never felt quite as peaceful as he was feeling at that moment._

 _She lifts her own her hands and lays them on top of his own. He can feel the brush of her lips as she kisses his hand and lowers it, never letting it go._

 _"_ _I should name you with an embarrassing name then!" She smiles slyly at him and he can feel his own lips twitching up into a smile._

 _"_ _Like what, milady?"_

 _"_ _I don't know…Hm….Freddie? No, you don't look like a Freddie. You are more of Japanese person." She grips his hand harder and brings her face closer to his own. "I should name you… Dango!"_

 _He tilts his head in confusion._

 _"_ _Should I know what 'Dango' is?"_

 _"_ _Eh! How can you not know what dango is?!"_

 _"_ _Is it relevant?"_

 _"_ _Of course it is! That is you we are talking about!"_

 _"_ _And who am I, milady?"_

 _She pouts at him, and he can feel his lips twitching up again. She blinks and tilts her head._

 _"_ _What about… Karasu?"_

" _It is the creature that my mask represents."_

 _"_ _Nope! That is too cliché for me!"_

 _"_ _What is wrong with cliché, milady?"_

 _She sticks her tongue out to him, and he can_ _'t help but smirk at her._

 _"_ _Careful with that tongue of yours, milady." He lowers his face and he knows that she cans his red eyes as whispers husky to her. "I have better uses for it, if you wish so I could put those uses into action."_

 _She lets his hand go and immediately pushes him away. Her face as red as a tomato._

 _"_ _I should simply call you pervert…"_

 _"_ _But that wouldn't be fun, would it?"_

 _She looks at him with wary and yet hopeful eyes._

 _"_ _Do you really want me to name you?"_

 _He tilts his head and simply nods._

 _Again, he can see that distant look in her eyes. The glazed look that seemed to lay every secret bare before her._

 _"_ _Do you want to know the name that I choose for this life of mine? The name that I choose so I could live beside my ward?"_

 _He nods._

 _"_ _Nanashi… Uchiwa Nanashi."_

 _ **…**_ _ **Uchiwa…**_

 _His breath hitches and he can feel his heart beating faster, and he doesn't know why._

 _"_ _Do you still want me to name you?"_

 _He gulps down the imaginary bile in his throat and raises his shaking hands to cup her face. He leans down and their foreheads touch. He never hated his mask as much as he hates it now._

 _The wind is stronger now, and their clothes and hair billowed around them._

" _Your name is…"_

* * *

He could hear his own heartbeat as he whispered a name that brought so much joy and agony to him.

"Itachi. My name is Itachi."

* * *

And so the shiki is Itachi! Congrats to **FIREBLISSFEATHER** and guest **ej** for their right guesses. :3 And a little nod to **Alpha Stigma55** 's suggestion. Finally, I come to the decision of keeping the name simple. No need to complicate things.

Thank you guys to all of you guys who reviewed/favorited/followed this story! So many people reading! I will try my best to get better and better at this. So please, tell me your opinions.

And **suntan140** questioned if Mai will summon Nana in her fox form. I am quite curious about from where this question came. What is your reasoning for this? I'm quite interested to know about it.

To **Bunnibutch** , their interaction was so funny to write about. And future ones will be so much fun. He is like, so serious and will take everything that Nana says and does so seriously. And she is like, LoL I'm totally trolling you. It will be quite the blast.

And the **easter eggs** where the following **lines** , and can be found in the third chapter ( First Truth III).

I - "Oh, milady. I am lost, and worse than that, I am alone. Milady, I ask of just one thing. **However strong you become, never seek to bear everything alone. If you do, failure is certain.** Do not become lost, milady. You have too much hope hidden in you. Don't make the mistakes that so many have done. That _I_ have done."

 _Those were the words Itachi Uchiha said to Naruto Uzumaki in their last encounter._

II _-_ He lifts his hand and lays it on her **mouth**.

"I think… That I will let you decide this milady." She looks at him with surprised eyes.

 _When storing his Crow with Shisui Uchiha's Sharingan inside Naruto Uzumaki, the Crow entered through Naruto's mouth._

Done and Done!

Itachi is rather OOC, I guess. But he doesn't really remember anything. The only thing he knows about are feelings.

What do you guys think about **Lin and Naru's interaction**?

Thank you so much! See you!

~MariDark


	6. First Truth VI

the Way

Naruto and Ghost Hunt and any other media you find in this story does not belong, in any possible way, to myself.

 _Many sentences in this story were taken and/or inspired from the mangá, anime or the script that I have found on the internet._

 _Thanks to Baka-Tsuki for the script. Couldn't do this without the help of your hard work._

First Truth - Chapter Six

Naru sat on the back of the van, his eyes glazed over as he stared down at his hands.

For a moment, when Lin told him about the existence of a youkai, Naru had let his excitement overcome his main resolve. For a moment, Naru had forgotten the reason why he'd came to Japan.

For a single, glorious moment, Naru was the old Oliver. The Oliver who was stoic, genius and an innovator of the parapsychological world.

But then, everything was too much. _A daiyoukai, eh?_

Naru remembered when he first learned about youkai. He remembered when his father called him down to his office, and when he entered he saw an old man who later Naru would know as Lin' father, Lin Song. _A powerful man from the woods._

 _"_ _An youkai is the most physical representation of the supernatural that we know of."_ His father had said to him with an stern face. _"Unfortunately, they are much stronger than other spirits."_ Naru could recall the confusion he felt when he asked why they were stronger. It wasn't his father who answered him.

 _"Because they can live in our world."_ Lin Song had said with a terse voice. _"Those demons can not be fought with simple spells. It is needed to truly fight with one to understand the grandiose being that it can be."_ His father had nodded and then looked at him with soft eyes.

 _"There are many types of youkai. And there is an hierarchy as well."_ His father had kneeled in front of his chair and gently laid a old notebook on his lap. _"Of course, pretty much everything we know of them is theory…"_

* * *

 _"_ _Oliver," His father put his hands on top of the old notebook that he'd just put on Oliver's lap. "This notebook contains all info about youkai that we have."_

 _Oliver took the notebook and opened in random page. He saw something that looked like genealogy tree an on the top of it had the word_ _'kami'. Under it, there was 'hanshin' and 'daiyoukai'._

 _"_ _Dai…youkai?"_

 _"_ _Hunf. Those are the one who lived for too long." The old Chinese man said. Oliver looked up at him. "On the times of old, my clan fought with one. A kitsune I believe. They are merciless beings who think themselves as greater than us." The old man looked sternly at him. "They were not seen or heard of for centuries." The old man looked back at Oliver's father. "Youkai are legends those days, boy. But if you ever meet one, and for an unbelievable miracle it is an daiyoukai, wait for your death. Those beast would destroy you."_

 _"_ _They wouldn't if he knew how to use his power." Oliver's power raised his voice, his eyes glaring at the old man. "Oliver, this man is Lin Song. And he will arrange your Qigong training."_

 _"_ _I won't train this child. But I know someone who can."_

* * *

Naru closed his eyes and sighed at the memory. He looked over his shoulder to see a backpack threw across the van's floor. He pulled the backpack to his side and looked inside. He grabbed the old notebook that his father had given to him. It wasn't the only one, he had many books and notebooks that were given to him by his family and colleagues.

He opened the book and searched for a certain page. His eyes focusing on it when he found it.

 _Daiyoukai…Why would Mai be involved with one?_

* * *

The black headed boy blinked in puzzlement at the nine tailed fox that appeared in front of him. He gasped in amazement when he sensed the power that came from within it's form. With a light smile gracing his lips, the boy spoke.

"You know me, but I don't know you… Who- no. What are you?" The fox tilted it's golden head and blinked sky blue eyes at him. They, the pointy ears, were black tipped, golden ears flickering in his direction. It then opened it's jaws in a long yawn showing sharp fangs. It's tongue rolled inwards and then it clicked it's snout shut. It stared at him with lazy eyes and lifted it's paw as if greeting him.

"Yo." The voice that came from her was feminine and rather daring. "I'm Nana."

The boy blinked in confusion and then looked at her with excited eyes. "That is Mai's guardian's name!" He pointed at her with a huge smile adorning his lips. "So you really are some kind of spirit that has a human form!" He laughed out aloud in astonishment. "I knew that there was something strange happening!" He quickly jogged towards her, kneeling on the water so he could talk to her without much strain to both their necks.

Nana blinked at him and then sat on top of the water. She looked down at his knees, which were on top of it as well, and saw that they weren't getting wet. She shrugged, deciding to not think too much about the boy's soul representation physics and dynamics.

"This is amazing!" He lowered his face closer to hers, grinning. "Ha!" He looked over head and directly at her tails, his eyes shining and his grin getting bigger and bigger. "A kitsune! A kyuubi no kitsune, no less!"

"Yeah. Whatever." Nana blinked at the boy's strange behavior and then proceeded to drawl out. "And you are the dead boy who is clinging like a leach to Mai's dreams." He blinked at her, his smile falling from his face as it settled in a sad and longing look.

"Ah…I'm sorry for that." He looked to the night sky above them with a sad smile on his lips. "I guess I was just desperate to talk to Noll…" He looked back at her with a warm smile. "Please, Nana-san, call me Gene."

"Noll…"

"Ah, I believe that Mai calls him 'Naru-chan'." He chuckled.

"Oh." She nodded. "Okay. But, what I want you to tell me is… Why? Why use Mai to talk to that boy?" It wasn't as if she didn't know about it. But she wanted _him_ to tell _her_.

He eyes grew sad and determinate as he answered her. "I was killed. And then my body was dumped into a lake. I need to talk to my brother, and I think that if he finds my body I can pass over to my next life." He looked down at their reflection.

"Ah," She nodded. "Okay then." She looked down and met his eyes in their reflection on the water. "And why Mai?"

"She has latent psychic powers and is close to him now." He smiled softly a lifted his head, gazing at the spheres floating around her. "Don't worry. I won't know about her life. I can only see what she sees, and I won't see her past. Only what happens now. Besides," He smiled warmly, his eyes eyes glazing over with kindness that she knows his brother didn't show as much as him. "She has such pure heart."

"Hmmm…" She closed her eyes in meditation. "So you've awakened her powers." He blinked at her in surprise.

"You knew?" She looked at him sharply.

"Of course I knew. Don't ask stupid questions, dude."

He blinked at her and then giggled. "You talk funny."

"Wha-?!" She looked at him with wide eyes. "Whaddaya talkn' about?!" He laughed again. "I'm telling you this right now, dude! Stop, like, laughing at me! I mean it!" He fell on his back laughing and she quickly got up. Her body tense, her tails raised and her fur stuffed.

"Ah… I'm sorry, Nana-san! It's just, you are as much delightful as your ward is!" He raised himself from the water, his elbows supporting him as he smiled amusedly at her. She huffed and looked away from him. He then looked at her with hopeful eyes, "But…" She flickered one of her ears at him but kept eyeing the forest. "Now that you are here, you can go and talk to him for me! Could you do it? This way, I won't bother Mai for long and I can go and move on." He smiled hopeful at her.

She looked at him then, her eyes soft and curious. Tilting her head, she could see how much desperate he was, how much he wanted to simply rest in piece. He wanted justice and to rest knowing that his loved ones could burry and say their goodbyes to him. He wanted to move on and live in peace.

Unfortunately to Gene, the world wasn't a fair place.

"No."

He blinked at her, his eyes turning confused. "…What…?"

She stared coldly at him. "You've awakened Mai's power and she needs someone to lead her through Astral Walks every time she goes to sleep." She put a paw before her and lowered her head slightly, her body language turning aggressive and a strong hurricane started to form around her. The water started to freeze and the trees in the forest started to move erratically. He withdrew himself from her slowly, fright taking over him as he watched her every move. "You entered in our lives, in Mai's live. And now!" Her body deflated and the wind and cold stopped, Gene's hair falling back in a mess around his head. "Now she will have her own adventure…" Nana looked sadly at him. "You both started a chain of reactions that I didn't wanted to happen…" She walked towards him with her ears lowered. "And you will help her. You will be the guide that I can not be. I won't let her fall in the pit of madness that her powers can bring to her." She looked up and his dark blue depths connected with sky blue ones. "And you won't tell her a thing about it all." He could fill the chill traveled through his body as her auto surrounded him and her words resonated in his soul.

"You won't involve yourself with those who are alive. Let Mai think whatever she wishes to." She narrowed her eyes at him. "You can't make your presence know."

He throws himself in front of her with wide eyes looking at her indignantly as he hissed to her. "The only reason I started this all was because I _want_ to speak with the living…with _my brother_."

"And you can. When you teach Mai how to not die on the Astral World of her Dreams. _Gene_."

And with a twirl of golden fire, she was gone.

He sighed warily. "I'd do it anyway, without you asking."

* * *

John Brown liked to think himself as a simple man.

He was called a prodigy, a genius by many, yet, his mother's words were the ones that stayed with him and that he choose to believe. She would tell him _'there is nothing more peaceful than simpleness, dear John.'_ and he he thought that his mother's words couldn't be more wise.

When he met the bunch of psychics at his first case in Tokyo, he was humble and tried to be kind to them but they were quite the chaotic bunch of people and still screamed disorder whenever they talked with one another.

He'd rather enjoyed meeting young Mai, though. When she saved him from a severe injure when the celling bended he was very much thankful. Those few minutes they talked with each other were peaceful and funny. She was an enjoyable youngster, with high spirits and a little bit on the clumsy side. So, when they'd meet the sister she put on su high regards, he was waiting for someone similar to her, only a bit mature.

He didn't expect the dazzling and charming blonde they met on the street.

She had such a great presence. It was simply impossible to _not_ notice her, so bright she was. Yet, as much as light she seemed to have, he'd sensed something deeper, intangible from her. A grayish feeling that didn't seemed to know right or wrong, like where black and light met and intertwined- a judge of souls, he'd thought as their eyes met.

They'd had a refreshing dinner, and he'd pretended to not notice the shine of her soul. A boundless soul that seemed to hug Mai on the warmest of hugs, he ignored the way she'd smile serenely at him when Mai wasn't noticing. He knew, knew that she wasn't even trying to hide, yet, she didn't put all her cards on the table- actually, he didn't even dared to start the game. He smiled back and stayed away.

She was clearly a powerful psychic, and he didn't want to upset her.

 _At least, he hoped she was one._

* * *

"Don't come home late!"

"I won't! Bye, Nee-chan!"

"Be careful!" Nana watched as Mai ran out of their apartment. She hoped she would be well. _And that damn dead boy better help her!_

And so she settled to the human duties of cleaning and housing. She had faint memories of a small apartment, dirty and messy. Of a lonely painful life of loneliness, blood and lies- and she hated it. She hated the fact she didn't have a happy life, of course, she know that she had glimpses of sunny days filled with laugher and light feelings. But those were few and even more distant memories. The ones that were easier to remember were the deaths. She knew much blood, in all of her lives she'd always was quite acquainted with death.

Death and life, and honestly, she didn't see death in such a bad light anymore. Oh, she used to. The faint echoes of her humanity many times had infiltrated her timeless mind and made her hesitate in many a thing. She'd make so many mistakes because of her antique conscience. A conscience that couldn't exist anymore, how could it still persist in it's existence? She had gone through so many types of being, she had experienced the most cruel and benevolent sides of her soul.

Still, she was bounded to utopian human ideals. Of fairness, justice and salvation. She didn't understand how she, that had seen the both sides of the coin of life and death and unlife and undeath, could still persist in thinking in such idealistic way. She was truly a fool.

She cleaned the kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms and ended scrubbing the floor of the living room. She wasn't even sweating as she finished, and smiled brilliantly at her well done job. Looking at the clock hanging on the kitchen's wall, she saw that it was lunch time. Looking through the fridge, she'd decided she'd make Mai's dinner. She didn't really _needed_ to eat, so she always focused on what Mai wanted to eat, and sometimes what she _needed_ to it. She'd taken care of children before, she knew they needed to eat something healthy so they could grow physically well.

She got some jeans and a long sleeved t-shirt, took her purse and was out, heading to one of the wonders of humanity.

 _To the supermarket!_

…

She couldn't find her favorite brand of spiced tomato sauce.

She swore to herself that if she didn't find the dammed sauce, she would trow a flip. _No one messed with her recipes, she mean it!_

As she stormed down the sauce corridor, ignoring the startled looks of other clientele, she searched for the red sauce, the one perfect to her recipe of ramen. As she glared at the the shelves, she saw it. The last one, just there in front of her! With a victorious smile, she reached to the can of spiced sauce- and another hand grabbed it at the same time as she.

She froze, her body going still and her eyes turned a sharp glare to the young man at her side, who, too, reached to the last can of _Red Habanero!_ on the shelves. He blinked at her, his ordinary Japanese features staring at her in wonderment.

"Hey, dude." He blinked surprised at her language. "You ain't getting this can." He narrowed his eyes and his grip on the can tightened.

"Why would I let it go? I saw it first…"

A angry tic appeared at her brow, she glared at him. With blazing eyes and hair fizzled with ire, she growled at him with her other fist raised. "You won't mess up with my ramen, dattebane!" She could feel her cheeks redden at her mishap, letting her verbal tic come at her again.

Still, she pulled the can out of his hand and put it in her cart. Pivoting on the sole of her foot, she let her hair hit his face and them was gone. _Human, don't mess with Mai's food!_

She left him gaping at her.

* * *

Itachi was tasked to take care of Naru for the rest of their stay. Well, Koujo had said they were going away from the school since the Oliver boy had concluded the case. But Itachi knew otherwise, and as he stared to the psychic gang as they discuss over the boy's diagrams.

Sure, the old building was falling apart, sinking even, but it wasn't only that.

He looked over Mai as she and Naru took their machines from the building. As they put everything on the van, the Kuroda girl appeared and caused trouble, as always. He narrowed his eyes at the girl as she lost the argument she'd raised with the ghost hunter boy.

He turned to Mai as she told the boy about how anticlimactic everything was, but it wasn't nothing she didn't expected. He took a deep breath and relished on the strong scent of Nana that emanated from the brunette. He smile faintly at the scrumptious scent of the blonde dai, the female haunted him in the most delicious of ways.

He didn't quite understand it, but he had an almost instinctive attachment to her. It was like her very essence of being was necessary for the safety and sanity of his mind and soul. She calmed a beast inside, a fretful thing that made him want to see the world **burn**. And he was scared of it because that wasn't him, he didn't think it was. He didn't want to hurt and hunt on prey, as the beast inside him said to him.

Maybe it was born from his stay on Limbo, maybe it came to life from his past and forgotten regrets- but he only knew one thing, and that was that the powerful Nana calmed the beast. She made him feel _peace._

He turned his eyes to the building when he heard the _crack_ coming from the window in front of the human trio. Soon as they cracked his was infant of them, impending the shards to reach the teens with his own aura, making it seem so as the curtains were to blame for their safeness. After the windows shattering, the knock sound came.

Itachi stared down at the Kuroda girl, his form invisible to her and the two others, he frowned at her as the Miko came running to them. He turned sharp red eyes to the door as it opened and closed seeming on it's own. As it closed for the last time, one of the remaining windows shattered on top of Kuroda. The girl screamed, soon followed by the Monk and John's cries for them coming somewhere from inside the building.

He watched as the boy took the Miko's hand, yelling to them to jump out of the window and get out of the building. Mai took Kuroda's hand and they left.

Itachi stared at the door with narrowed eyes. He closed his red eyes in annoyance. _Kuroda's aura…_ His lips formed a frown. _It's weak, but it is there._ He looked out of the window at the running humans, black tomoe swirling through red irises. _I can see it._

* * *

Naru couldn't understand.

He'd calculated everything! His researched was impeccable and clear. So… How could he let that happen?

What was it, that one thing he didn't see?

He felt the blood running down his hand and the Miko and Monk's jabs at his work. He heard Mai defending him, but he didn't answer, his eyes were glued to the looming old building some wards across from him. With his eyes glazed over and chaotic thoughts running through his head, he turned to Mai as she reached for his bleeding hand. His dark blue found her worried brown and he frowned.

Could Mai be involved with it?

He quickly pulled his hand out of hers. "Don't worry about it." His voice was empty.

"But…"

"It will clot soon." He turned to leave. "Go help Kuroda."

He heard her faint, worried, voice. "Okay…"

"I… Don't bother me. I just hate myself too much right now."

He tried to ignore the faint voice in his head with a voice similar to his, yet, much more kind than he could ever be.

 _This pride of yours will be your end, Idiot Scientist._

…

He walked aimlessly through the streets, lost in his mind. He'd thought of calling Lin, but decided that the man only would want him to get out of the school and to give the case up.

Obviously, he wouldn't do _that._

He thought of Mai and her involvement with the youkai, but truly, why would a youkai ever waste time with such petty hauntings? It didn't make sense. And why would it put it's possession, Mai, in close danger? It had gone through great lengths to just _warn_ them to be careful with the girl. It wanted Mai safe and sound, and wouldn't lose time with simple hauntings.

 _So, what is it?_

He stopped in front of another school, this one closed as it was Sunday. He saw a little bakery in front of the school's gate and walked towards it, as he entering the establishment the little bell on the door warning others of his entry and he walked to one of the tables in front of the the grand window display. He looked around, taking in it's rustic appearance with an old chandelier hanging from the celling. It fitted it's name, Wizarding Dreams.

"Can I help you, sir?"

He looked up to meet bright green eyes, the woman's red hair in a messy bun, some curly strands falling out of it and framing her face and neck. He blinked at her ethereal appearance, but caught himself and shook his head.

"A cup of green tea, please."

She smiled at him and nodded. "Right away, sir." She walked out and he turned to stare outside the window display. His eyes followed the people as they walked outside.

He fisted his hands in frustration. _What was it that I missed?_

"Here, sir." He blinked in surprise and looked at the woman. _That was fast…_

"Thank you." She nodded and walked away from his table, going towards a trio of teenagers. He looked down at his tea and took a sip of it, humming in appreciation when the warm liquid touched his taste buds.

"I mean, really, it was awesome!"

He looked up at the adolescent trio, his eyes resting on the blond boy whom had spoke.

"Really Harry-san!" He exclaimed. "That chick was totally useless!"

"Kida-kun! Speak lower…" The black headed boy spoke.

"But Mikadoooo, you know it is true… That chick was a total arrogant bitch. And nasty. She just wanted attention and she'd make things happen just so she would prove herself right! That movie was totally bullshit!"

They looked up as Naru quickly stood up, his chair dragging back with his haste. His eyes were wide and he looked at him with an almost amazed expression.

He hastily payed for his tea, putting more money than was probably necessary, and quickly got out of the bakery.

He ran down the street, almost bumping with a black headed man with a black coat with gray fur on his hood. He quickly apologized and ignored the sly smile on the man's face.

 _ **"…**_ _ **she'd make things happen just to prove herself right!"**_

* * *

"Nee-san! I'm home!" Mai entered their apartment and waited for a response. It came from the kitchen.

"Welcome home, Mai-chan!" She walked towards the kitchen and stopped at it's entrance. she blinked and lifted her nose, taking a deep breath and sighing happily as the ramen scent was immediately identified.

"Is that ramen?"

"Yeah! And guess what…" Nana smiled brilliantly at her. "We will have ice-cream as dessert!" Mai smiled softly at her guardian.

"That's great…" Her guardian blinked at her, and then smiled softly. She turned the oven of and set aside the pot with their dinner. She cleaned her hands in a cloth she'd always had over one of shoulders as she cooked. She put the cloth on top of the counter and walked towards Mai, and soon Mai was engulfed in the blonde's warm embrace.

"I know today was a tiring day, and that it didn't ended yet, but don't feel so down, little kit." She drew back and cupped Mai's cheeks with both of her hands, eyes soft as gazed down at her ward. "I'll be always with you, until the day death take you from me." And she smirked at her. "By old age."

Mai smiled at her, tears in her eyes as she nodded and then took a deep breath and drew back from her guardian's arms. "Now, let's eat! I still have to come back and fix some things."

…

There was sounds of steps on the floor above them.

Mai, Kuroda, John, Miko and Monk all stood still as they listened to the sound above them. Suddenly, sounds of doors closing and opening started as well and then…

 _ **Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!**_

 _It_ _'s like the whole building is going to collapse…_ Mai shuddered with fear as the noise started to get louder and louder. Soon, it sounded as if there was a whole army up there. They started to get away towards the entrance hall when the floor started swaying as well.

Mai walked faster, afraid to run because she didn't wanted the floor to collapse with the pressure.

Soon, they reached the entrance hall and passed through the corredor of shoe cabinets to get out of the building. But Mai saw one of the cabinets was swaying. She tried to push it away from her, and as her hand touched the hot surface of the cabinet, she remembered that objects touched by poltergeists were supposed to be warm. _More like boiling hot._

The cabinet tilted and fell over her. She screamed and then there was nothing.

…

She woke up at the back of Naru's van.

But it was strangely misty, her vision that is. She felt tired and confused, and as she gazed around tiredly she knew she was dreaming.

Nana had told her of the dreamscape, where everything could change at any second and so everything was simple not constantly tangible.

She turned her head around slowly, her arms supporting her and when she felt she would fall back she felt warm hands steading her by her shoulders. She looked up and met dark blue eyes and Naru's kind face. The thing was, she was pretty sure Naru wouldn't put such a open look on his face.

"Are you… Naru?"

He smiled gently at her used his fingers to move away some hair strands out of her forehead, his fingers caressing her forehead and his lips formed a gentle smile to her.

"Don't move much."

"You…can't be…Naru."

He smiled at her and said that she should rest.

"The others…"

"They aren't here."

She blinked and remembered the warm cabinet. "It is a poltergeist…"

"Don't think too much about it."

She stared at him. "You aren't Naru."

He only smiled and said she should sleep a little more.

She slept.

…

And then she woke up, and this time, it wasn't to a dream.

She was in her room.

She blinked and stared out of the window to see the sunrise's bright rays coming from the horizon. She was quite sure she was at the school before passing out, and no one knew where her house was… so how did she ended up at home?

* * *

Shorter chapter than normal, but I will post **another chapter soon** enough. Holidays are amazing. And four days without school? Everybody leaves winning. Not my grades though. (Is this right? "Grades"?)

As the bakery scene, don't think much about the subtle crossover there. I'm writing a super one-shot, and the **bakery** is my central piece on it. Just wanted to test out a bit of dynamics. But what did you think about it?

Oh, and there was a drastic change in my **writing style**. I forgot to ask your thoughts about it on the previous chapter. I guess that I'm still learning. And this story is very much it to me as well. A means to better my English writing and about How to Manipulate the Plot. So, I'm sorry if it is kinda messy, but I'm kind of finding myself, I guess?

As to **suntan140** 's **question** , that I didn't really answered, sorry. It could happen, I guess. Like **ej** 's suggestion, it could be quite handy. But we will have to see ;P

I'm writing other **projects** , even posted one of them, I will do my best to please you guys. You don't have to worry too much as well, because as this is a planned story, I know where it will end, and all that. The plot is done, and I just need to write it all really. Of course, another ideas as **suntan140** 's and **ej** 's are very much welcomed.

 **First Case** will end in the next chapter. Definitely. Even if I had to make it a monster of a chapter, and take a week to write it all. It will end in the next chapter and things will start to take shape! :3

I think my **grammar** is getting better, but it is still much too shaky. I was looking back to some chapters and I had to cringe at such a crude work. Really, I feel so ashamed. Please, tell me of any mistakes and do inform me of what is wrong. English is not my first language and some things that I write wrong may be because I didn't even know they were wrong.

And forgot to say, but I'm pretty sure that **daiyoukai** is an InuYasha term. But I quite like this marking difference in-between simple youkai and greater youkai. It's a divisor of power and strength, and makes it easier to everyone as divide Youkai Hierarchy.

And about the **Habanero scene**...you will get it later.

See ya later!

~MariDark


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